Realm of the Forgotten
by twilightwanderer
Summary: In a foreign land, housed with confliction and disdain, Kai leaves the camaderie of his teammates to search the windswept night for solitude. Instead, he finds a terror beyond imagination, with an intent beyond all reason, in a form beyond comprehension.
1. The Loner

A/N: This is my first Beyblade fanfiction, which I wrote in 2002. Though I am new to writing on this website, I am not a beginner to writing in general. I enjoy writing almost as much as I enjoy watching Kai in action. ^^; I hope you enjoy reading my fic about his angsty self. Please R&R!  
  
Warning: Please note I wrote this before the premiere of Beyblade Vforce in America, so I knew absolutely nothing about a character that appears later in the series. Forgive his OOCness, though I believe the personality I gave him is better than the show. *dodges tomatoes* Be nice.  
  
Disclaimer: You know it. I no own. Me sad. (  
  
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THE LONER  
  
Shadows danced at his feet, twirling around him like enchanted fairies casting a spell. Entranced by their provocative movements, he was tempted by the invitation they offered. "Come away, come away, come away with us to the valley beyond. Come away, come away, come away with us you cannot e'er go wrong." Continuously they chanted these words, all the while frolicking about. Soon the words melted in his ears and he could hear nothing but constancy. An overwhelming power moved him toward a hanging curtain of darkness. The shadows giggled impishly in delight as he drew closer and closer. Crimson eyes pierced through the gloom, staring fiercely at him. An ominous laugh echoed in his ears. "Yes, come to me, my dear one. A few more steps, then you're mine." A voice barely above a whisper spoke, raising the hairs on the nape of his neck. The darkness transformed into a hand that reached out to him, beckoning him. "Come to me," the voice hissed, "Kai."  
  
*********************  
  
He shot out of sleep, drenched in a cold sweat. His body trembled with shaky breaths, as his eyes darted around the room. There could only be found the other members of his team, the four of them sharing two beds. No red-eyed darkness was in sight. Holding his racing heart, he tried to compose himself lest one of the Blade Breakers woke up. It hadn't been the first time that horrid dream had come to him, but he prayed it be the last. Something about it made him shudder to his core.  
  
He drew his sheets close to his neck and peered over them at the window on the opposite side of the room. The dark curtains were blowing in gently on a soft breeze. He rose, strode over, and drew the large curtains open. Moonlight flooded in, bathing him in the night's sweet caress. Sighing peacefully as the wind brushed coolly against his skin, a sense of peace washed over him. He returned to the couch on which he slept, ready to fall back asleep, when...  
  
"Kai?" A whispered voice asked. He froze for a moment, thinking of the voice in his dream. He kept quiet. "Kai? Are you awake?" A body moved in the bed to his right. A boy with raven-hair sat up and stared at the couch. His gold eyes flickered through the dark haze of night to settle upon the team's leader.  
  
"What is it?" Kai asked quietly.  
  
"I just wanted to know if you were okay. You're not usually up this early. Did you have a bad dream?" Rei inquired, concerned.  
  
Kai turned away from him and pulled the covers over his face. "Go back to sleep."  
  
The Chinese boy shrugged and slipped back down into the warm depths of the bed. In a few moments, Kai was the only one conscious.  
  
He sat up on the couch, unable to find the calm he had achieved. Back over to the window he went and pulled up a chair next to it. The night breeze flowed over him, replacing his fear with the cold. Peacefully, he closed his eyes and fell back asleep only to be assaulted by another nightmare - this one was among the worst.  
  
*********************  
  
Staring deep into his own reflection, Kai fell into the deep sad eyes staring back at him. Into the glass he fell and emerged on the other side. A soulless version of himself, he watched with horror, collapsed to the floor on the real side of the mirror. His eyes widened when he felt icy breath upon his neck. He slowly turned to see the dancing shadows prancing at his feet. The hand of darkness came through, reaching out to him. Kai banged hard on the glass with all his might, trying to get away. "Help me!" He screamed, as the darkness closed in and held him fast.  
  
The red eyes shot through the veil of black and he could feel the heat of their gaze. "You're mine now." The sinister laughter resumed, sending ice through Kai's veins. The red eyes drew closer and he struggled to break free from its grasp. "No. No! Save me!" He cried out.  
  
*********************  
  
Someone from the world of reality shook him awake. Relieved to be free from the dread that had consumed his very being, he clutched the one whom saved him and let out a sob. A chuckle resonated his body and he quickly drew away, as if the person had burned his flesh. He was caught in the stares of ten pairs of eyes, including Kenny's glasses. The person directly in front of him let out another amused laugh and smiled at him with eyes of purest gold.  
  
"I knew you had a bad dream."  
  
"Was it that bad, Kai? Guess so. I didn't know you could cry." Tyson joked, only to get a painful elbow in the ribs from Kenny. "Ouch. Jeez, I was only fooling."  
  
"You want to talk about it?" Max asked, worry brimming in his ocean blue eyes.  
  
"No," he snapped, "There's nothing to talk about." He rose from the chair and brushed past all of them. With a room of confused silence at his back, he shut the door loudly and faced the misty pink sky of early dawn.  
  
He growled to himself, angry at his display in the room. He had let his defenses down. Left himself vulnerable in his sleep. Shown his weak side to his team members. He slammed a fist into the side of the hotel, not even feeling the pain. Blood trickled down his hand, into his palm, through his fingers, down his wrist, then to the ground. He trampled upon the spill and continued walking.  
  
Soon people began to pass him on the sidewalks as the sun began to peer over the gleaming skyscrapers. Kai moved freely among the masses, lost within the crowd. Within their depths he found freedom for he was hidden. He blended in. Became part of their unanimous image. He would not stand out. Not today.  
  
Familiar voices approached from behind and Kai slipped into an alleyway. He held his breath as the rest of his team strolled down the street, chatting and every few seconds looking this way and that. Probably looking for him. When they had past, he exhaled and merged back onto the sidewalk, this time in the opposite direction.  
  
Kai wanted no contact with them for the rest of the day. He wanted to be alone. They could never understand that. The Blade Breaker's lived off social contact and conversations with one another and other people. Not a day could go by without them saying something to each other. They always prodded and poked Kai, inviting him to join in, but they didn't understand. He was different. He could never be like them. He would always be alone.  
  
A young boy with cropped purple hair rushed down the street, jostling some of the people in the crowd, causing the calm surface of the tide to ripple. Kai noted him for but a moment then erased him from his mind. Someone from behind shoved past him to get ahead, dashing down the street. Kai caught glimpses of twilight blue hair held down by a cap and a flapping red jacket, yet wasn't sure if what he had seen was Tyson. Another person shoved speedily past him. This time it was someone with voluminous blond hair and orange overalls. Questions pricked at Kai's mind when a third person shoved past him, a raven-haired youth. He counted the seconds then extended his arm towards the ground. Something hit it and thudded against the concrete. Kai looked to see Kenny had run into his arm. He stood in front of the redhead. "What's going on?"  
  
"N-nothing, Kai. Really, you shouldn't bother yourself with it. Just trivial matters, that's all." The Chief replied nervously, glancing around Kai at where the others had gone. Kai glared firmly at the lad, who gave in under the pressure of the deep mahogany eyes burning into him.  
  
"Okay, okay. Some kid stole Tyson's blade. We're going after him to get it back."  
  
How could Tyson have lost his blade so quickly? Kai wondered, but shook the question away. He stepped aside. Kenny cocked his head, confused.  
  
"Go on!" Kai ordered and the Chief promptly obeyed, continuing his speedy trek down the bustling street.  
  
Kai pondered over actually going after them himself. He had already broken his promise to not confront the Blade Breakers. What was the use in straying away from them now? Besides, his Dranzer might be the only one capable of getting Tyson's blade back. A smile danced upon his lips for a brief moment. If he did win it back, he could teach his team he wasn't the person who had been woken from a dream that morning. He was Kai: leader of the Blade Breaker, Champion Beyblader. He lowered his head. They were things he wasn't proud of.  
  
He shoved his hands into his pockets and proceeded down the streets. Kai had no desire to be a Champion Beyblader. He had always been told what to do, what course to take. He was molded into what he was now by the callous hands of his grandfather. Outside, he was the merciless blader who led the team. Inside, he was nothing but an empty shell, devoid of emotions and desires, hidden behind a stoic mask.  
  
He was cold. He was cruel. He was indifferent. He was Kai. And Kai had no feelings. Kai wouldn't care if some running-nosed airhead got his Beyblade stolen. He wouldn't do anything to fix it, except laugh in mockery. He probably wouldn't even do that much! Kai cared for no one, not even himself. Kai was invincible. Kai was unbreakable. Kai was.alone. 


	2. Midnight Shadows

MIDNIGHT SHADOWS  
  
Draped over the couch, he hung his head over the armrest. Blood rushed to his brain turning his pale face red. No one was there to see. He slid off the couch and onto the wooden floor. Goose bumps rose throughout his body, giving him chills, yet he lied there till the boards warmed. Then he moved to a new cold spot. This was therapy to him. Like the Blade Breakers thrived in the warm bask of their friendship, he found life in the cold of loneliness.  
  
Kai lifted his head up as he heard keys jingling in front of the door and voices. He rose and smoothed his clothes, fixing his bangs so that they stood up. He leaned against the couch, his back to them; this was how he was when they entered. The cool breeze that followed them in nipped at Kai like a yappy terrier. He ignored the chill racing up his arms and glanced over his shoulder at his team.  
  
The four filed into the room. Each one carried a cheerful face of which Tyson's was the happiest. The dark blue-haired boy turned to Kai, who quickly looked away. "Hey, Kai! Guess what? I got Dragoon back. Rei and Max fought the little twerp who stole him and kicked his butt real good. Isn't that great?" Tyson bent in front of Kai and said, "Oopsy, I forgot Kai-ey- Wai-ey doesn't wike to help his little teamy-weamy, does he now? No. He's to busy crying over wittle nightmares like a baby-waby."  
  
"Leave him alone, Tyson. He's had enough of your talk for one day." Rei stormed over and dragged the boy back to the other side of the room.  
  
Max raised his head above the others and said, "We ran into Mr. Dickenson on the way up. We're all going to this nice restaurant by the ocean a few miles from here. After that, he said we might even go see a movie or check out the nightlife. Just thought you'd like a heads-up, Kai."  
  
"I'm not going." He stated bluntly, much to the surprise of his teammates.  
  
"Why not, Kai? This could be great! How many times have you been to the beach? Huh?"  
  
"Judging by his skin tone.never."  
  
Rei shot daggers at him, becoming fed up with Tyson's criticism. "What about the nightlife? I'm sure you'd like that."  
  
"Sure he would. He's a vampire among-" Max slammed a pillow into Tyson's face, silencing him, all the while smiling innocently.  
  
"I don't need a reason. I'm not going." He crossed his arms defiantly. "And my decision is final."  
  
The Blade Breakers sighed deeply. Nothing they could do would deter him. Once again, Kai would be alone.  
  
*********************  
  
The hand grasped him tightly drawing him into the darkness. "There's no one to save you now, my dear. No one can hear your cries for help. You're mine for good this time."  
  
"No!" Kai shouted defiantly. "Whoever you are, I will never be yours." He struggled harder, desperately trying to free himself from its clutches. The darkness was too strong. It sucked him into its black and dreary world, where he found himself trapped within a cage. Rattling the bars, he searched for a weak spot. When he discovered none, Kai threw himself violently against the metal. Then he heard the laughter.  
  
This time it was louder, closer, clearer than before. The red eyes appeared right in front of him, burning with delight. He could smell its foul breath upon his body, covering him with its disgusting odor. "What wrong, precious? This isn't like you at all. You're acting like a confined animal. You're not a prisoner, my dear." He felt a cold caress on his cheek and drew away.  
  
"What are you? What do you want with me?"  
  
A shady smile penetrated the gloom surrounding the cage, below the red eyes, creating a partial face. Its shifty grin reeked with the stench of pure evil. Suddenly, Kai grew very afraid.  
  
"You know who I am." The voice whispered as the hand reached for him again. "I'm you."  
  
*********************  
  
Kai woke up screaming. He clamped a hand over his mouth to stop himself. Certainly the whole building had heard his outburst nevertheless he could not allow himself a small blush of embarrassment. The vision he had dreamt rattled him greatly. He held his shivering body in an attempt to cease his trembling and moved not an inch from the couch until the Blade Breakers returned to the hotel room.  
  
"Kai, you missed out on a great time! There was an all-you-eat buffet, which Tyson really enjoyed, and there were all kinds of desserts. After that, we walked around the city and saw all the pretty neon signs. And then we went to see." Max's lively voice turned fearful as he took a closer look at his leader. "Kai, are you all right?"  
  
He was still frozen in the position he had awakened in. He relaxed slightly, releasing his death grip on his knees. "Forget about it. Go on." He motioned him to continue talking. At least meaningless chatter about the theater would distract his mind from what had been plaguing it for the last four hours.  
  
Max wouldn't forget about it and neither would the rest of the team representing Japan. "You sure don't look well, Kai. Did you have another bad dream?"  
  
Kai gave no response. They didn't need to know. He would not give in to another display of weakness the way he had that morning. He would be strong and fight his inner battles alone. "It's none of your business."  
  
"Well, since you are our leader, your well being is vital to the accuracy of the groups' performance. Whether you're well or not is essentially important, so it is our business, Kai." Kenny stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"I said 'forget about it.' If I'm your leader, I shouldn't have to say things twice." He jumped over the couch and headed towards the door. Tyson blocked his path. "Get out of my way." Kai commanded him, but he would not budge.  
  
"No way, Mr. Sourpants. Not until you tell us what's wrong."  
  
Kai's hands tightened into fists. "Since when have all you suddenly started caring? I don't need to be cared for. Now get out of my way!" Grabbing Tyson by the shirtfront, Kai saw fear and bewilderment pass through the boy's eyes as he tossed him casually over his shoulder. With his way to freedom from their prying eyes open, he ran out the door and into the quiet night.  
  
Dashing down the streets, weaving in-between the slow traffic, he found himself longing to be as far away from his team as possible. He ducked into dark alleyways until he arrived at an uninhabited sector of the town. No lights appeared in any window. Not a noise could be heard save the serene trickle of a water fountain.  
  
Paper bags, like desert tumbleweeds, skidded along the cobblestone on a gentle breeze as Kai approached the fountain. Water slowly trickled from the vase of a young maiden, down into a small well before her. He reached out a hand to touch her face and found it hard and cold. She looked so real yet all she was made of was stone. He stared at the flowing water being poured continuously into the well. She reminded him so much of himself. All he could ever be was a lone, cold statue against the night, trapped forever within stone eyes that denied emotion.  
  
Kai wondered if he'd ever be real. Real like his teammates. All of them expressed many emotions and shared a special bond with one another, but him, he'd always remain cold and distant.  
  
Why? He asked himself. Why shall I take the path of loneliness forever, cast for eternity to the shadows of solitude? Why shall I always be beside myself, to feel a warm presence near, only to find nothing there? Why shall my tears remain hidden, never to feel the warmth a loving soul can bring? He sighed, feeling as close to tears as he ever thought he would. I know the answer to these questions: "because I say so," the words of my grandfather. Those words I must obey. I will never be free to live as long as he still roams this world, or as long as I do.  
  
He leaned against the fountain. Besides, nothing ties me to this world. The Blade Breakers get along fine without me. When they're together, it's like I'm not even there. I only exist if Tyson feels like messing with me. It would be better if I weren't their leader. He bowed his head at his final thought. It'd be better if I didn't exist.  
  
The soothing sound of falling water ceased and Kai's mind jerked back to reality. The maiden's vase was clean of water and the well empty as if the fountain had been dormant for quite sometime. The phoenix drew closer to it, perplexed. Without warning, a heavy mist blew in and an impenetrable fog surrounded him, swift as lighting. Everything became a blur of grey haze as he groped for the fountain to find his bearings. He grabbed the edge of the well and pulled himself up. As he did so, he felt tiny feet light as a whisper walking across his hands.  
  
Kai sat on the edge of the well, deciding to wait for the fog to clear before leaving. Then he heard it - the chant from his dreams. "Come away, come away, come away with us to the valley beyond. Come away, come away, come away with us you cannot e'er go wrong."  
  
He lifted his feet and saw shadows dancing in and out of the fog, leaving behind ghastly images in the veil of grey mist. The veil soon turned into a curtain of black, as black as a moonless night, while the shadows' chant grew louder, faster. Kai blinked furiously, disbelieving what he perceived as reality.  
  
"I must be dreaming again," muttered he, running his fingers through his pale bangs.  
  
"This isn't a dream, dear one." A whispered voice spoke. "This is all very real."  
  
Kai's fear ignited as he scrambled to get away. "No!" He exclaimed as he fell back into the well. Closing his eyes tightly, he prepared himself for the pain he would receive once he hit the bottom. He never did. Kai continued plummet into the darkness, and he feared he'd never stop. Soon his fears subsided and a small speck of light rose up to greet him. His eyes shut once more as he descended into a world of white and his journey finally ended. The white turned to black as he instantly fell unconscious. 


	3. New World Zeo

A/N: This is the chapter I warned all of you about. Since I wrote this *way* before Vforce premiered in America, I created the character based on some pictures I had acquired of him. At least I knew his name. ^^ I now know they paired him as being Tyson's friend, but when I first saw him, it was a still of him jumping, (from the episode 'The Itsy-Bey Bitsy Spider") I thought he was a happy character and what outsets happiness? Kai, of course.. Anyways, he is one of the most integral characters in this story. I hope you like his introduction, and won't sue me if he's a bit OOC. You know what I had to work with. ^^ Please R&R.  
  
BTW- In my story his name is pronounced in its correct Japanese form. Zeo is pronounced "Zay-Oh" not "Zee-Oh." I could give you a whole essay on how the Japanese letters are pronounced, but I won't, since you now know how his name should be pronounced. Thanks for your time!  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________  
  
NEW WORLD ZEO  
  
Pain shot throughout his body like a hail of bullets. Gritting his teeth, Kai ignored the throbbing stabs and sat up. The ground beneath him was coarse and pale. He let it run through his fingers - sand. To his left, to his right, as far as the eye could see, the granular soil surrounded him.  
  
Looking skyward, a lavender moon hung overhead, shining down upon him, giving his skin and the sand around him a bluish glow. Strange stars sparkle around it, swirling in bands of purple, blue, and green - all of the palest colors against the velvet black sky.  
  
Utterly confused, Kai searched for where he had emerged in this bizarre world. He found no sign of the well. He began to walk along the sand dunes, soaking in everything that was around him. An alien creature bounded out from behind a mangled cactus, its neon colors making it stand out among the pallor of the land. The sand, licked up by the wind, appeared to sway in the moonlight. The desert seemed to be endless. Tired, Kai plopped down and gazed up at the sky.  
  
The ground began to quake beneath him. Fearing a tremor, he got up and readied himself. What happened was a far cry from an earthquake. Gnarled dark green plants writhed up from the ground, like zombies emerging from their graves. In their limbs struggled the bright alien creature, bellowing for its life. Kai watched in horror, as the plants squeezed harder and harder until the creature lay lifeless in their grip, much like a constricting snake. The creature disappeared into the bowels of the plant, never to be seen again. Once they had finished consuming it, their limbs ran over the sands then paused briefly. One slowly headed towards him and brushed against his pant leg. Kai kicked it off and it flinched. The plant began to come out of the ground at an even fastest rate than before. Seemingly fueled by fury, its appendages reached out after him. Reminded of what had happened to the creature and having no means of defense against the large mass of vegetation, he turned and ran, but something blocked his path.  
  
The figure of a boy stood before him, silhouetted by the moon. His face was concealed by shadows yet his sea green eyes glowed in the dark of night. An angelic smile graced his lips.  
  
Kai attempted to go around the boy but an unseen force stopped him. He returned to facing him and said, "Get out of my way."  
  
The sea green eyes gazed over his shoulder and at the thrashing plants. "Is that what you're running from?" The boy's soft voice teased Kai's ears, subtly accusing him of being a coward.  
  
Annoyed at this hidden accusation, Kai snarled. "Wouldn't you be?"  
  
The boy shook his head and his eyes glowed brightly. An eerie cry pierced the night and the plants slowly recoiled into the sand from where they had so abruptly emerged.  
  
Kai stepped back and asked, "What kind of freak are you?"  
  
The boy chuckled. "I am not a freak, just," he searched for a word, "talented."  
  
"'Talented'? Right." The phoenix scoffed and departed from the angel, who inquired, "Where are you going?"  
  
"None of your business." Kai retorted, storming away hurriedly.  
  
"It isn't safe to be out here at night." A tender voice called after him.  
  
"Does it look like I care?"  
  
"If you change your mind, you can come with me."  
  
Kai whipped around to find the boy walking off towards the horizon. The wind blew at him from the boy's direction, carrying the scent of jasmine with it, whipping through Kai's clothes and hair with cold hands. Cursing himself, he followed behind the boy at a distance when suddenly he disappeared. The firebird flew over to the spot where the angel had last stood. Surprised, Kai jumped back as a hand popped out from nowhere and waved.  
  
The boy's cherubic face emerged soon after with a grin. "Well, are you just going to keep standing on my doorstep or are you coming in?"  
  
Speechless and stupefied, Kai racked his brain from something cruel to say, but nothing came out. The words were long forgotten as another loud cry echoed through the night, deafening this time. Kai covered his ears and shouted, "What is that?"  
  
Giving no replying, the boy pulled Kai quickly inside, shutting the invisible door behind them. Before it shut completely, Kai caught a glimpse of a gnarled vine soaring up from the ground where he had just stood.  
  
He rose from the wooden floor and realized its smoothness beneath his feet, very contrasting from the desert sands. Glancing about, he found himself in the front hall of a finely furnished home. Pictures were scattered about the walls, encased by golden frames of the highest value. An armchair lurked in a corner of a darkened room a few steps away in what looked to be a library. Dark burgundy drapes hung down from large stained glass windows, still as the air around him. The rooms were all sheathed in darkness and Kai felt an urge to flee. Suddenly, a single flame shone through, penetrating the gloom and half of the boy's face came into view.  
  
"We're safe now. I'm glad you decided to come. You'd probably be dead by now if you hadn't." The candle illuminated Kai, who could feel the boy's eyes taking him in. "You're not from here, are you?"  
  
"No." Kai stated simply.  
  
The boy's smile grew and he bit his lip in excitement. Kai raised an eyebrow at this display, wondering what was wrong with the lad. He had already succeeded in disturbing him with those plants, but now, he was doing so on a whole new level.  
  
"Oh, this is wonderful!" The youth exclaimed happily. Kai's skin prickled as one of the boy's hands touched him. He slapped the hand away and the candle fell to the floor.  
  
Kai picked it up and held it out to the boy, whose bottom lip quivered and whose eyes brimmed with restrained tears. Suppressed sobs came from deep within the boy's throat.  
  
"Take your dumb candle." Kai demanded and it was slowly taken away.  
  
Driven to escape the boy's sobs, he walked to the other side of the room, but his sadness could still be clearly heard. Fed up with a small pang of guilt hammering his stone heart, he asked, "Why are you crying?"  
  
"I just.I only.I.. I."  
  
"Spit it out!"  
  
The sobs deepened and Kai sighed. What an infant! He returned to the boy and knelt next to him. He lifted the boy's face to see hot tears coursing down his reddened cheeks. Kai let go of him and said, "I'll ask you again. Why are you crying?"  
  
The boy sniffed and wiped his face with his sleeve. "I've just been here for so long without anyone to talk to. I was so happy to find somebody. I'm.I'm sorry." His weeping resumed long enough for Kai to head toward the door. A gasp came from the boy and Kai heard him scrambling to his feet. A damp hand grasped his arm and Kai jerked it off. The boy fell to his knees, palms together, pleading, "Please forgive me. I'll never to it again. I swear. Just don't leave. Please."  
  
An inner battle raged within Kai as he regarded the boy's pitiful form. To stay or to go, which would he choose? He pulled open the drapes and saw the plants looming outside still. He yanked them close. Like I have a choice.  
  
Seeming to sense his decision, the boy came over to him. His face beamed with happiness. "I know you'll enjoy your stay here. I most certainly will." The boy squealed into his hand and skipped merrily about the room, bursting with joy. In a singsong voice he sang, "I have company!"  
  
Kai began to have second thoughts about staying. He could manage better with the plants than with this overly happy strange kid. He snuck towards the door, attempting to escape when the boy popped up in front of him.  
  
"We weren't properly introduced. My name is Zeo."  
  
"Kai."  
  
"Pleased to meet you, Kai." Zeo extended his hand, which Kai stared at angrily. The boy instantly snatched it back. "So sorry. I forgot. Forgive me." The cheeriness in his voice departed and he dragged his feet back to where the candle rested on a stand. "Would you like something to eat? I can show you to the kitchen if you'd like since, you're probably going to be spending some time here."  
  
Kai frowned. "No, thank you."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Very sure."  
  
"Okay, then are you tired? I would think so. Would you like me to show you the rooms?"  
  
Kai thought of this as an opportunity to get away from the boy. "Yah, sure."  
  
He led him up a flight of spiraling stairs to the second floor of the large home. On either side are numerous doors and Zeo invited Kai to choose whichever one he wanted. "All except the one at the end of the hall. That's where I sleep."  
  
Kai opened the first door and was choked by a strong cloud of dust. He coughed and the boy patted his back instinctively. Kai glared at Zeo and immediately the hand was removed. He entered the room and decided he was not curious enough to look elsewhere. "This is fine," he said, walking over to the bed.  
  
"If you're not sure, there are twelve other rooms." Zeo came in and placed the candle on a nightstand by the bed. "The bathrooms at the top of the stairwell." He informed his guest and then bid him goodnight. "Sweet dreams." With that said, he left.  
  
Strange kid. Kai mused, kicking off his shoes. 'Sweet dreams,' huh? Fat chance. More like disturbing nightmares. He lied down on the bed, staring up at the textured ceiling, praying Sleep never to come. 


	4. Confusion Rises

CONFUSION RISES  
  
Inhuman screams echoed throughout the house. Kai sat awake in his bed, trying to ignore the disturbing sounds. Yet no matter how hard he tried, the relentless cries of utter torment flowed freely into his ears and clutched his very being. Ignorance was not an option at the time.  
  
The curtains in the room moved slightly. This was puzzling for there was no fan and he knew for a certainty that the window was not open. The air in the room was still like the calm waters of a virgin lake, untouched. The curtains swayed in an imaginary breeze. The hairs on the back of Kai's neck involuntarily rose, covering his body in goose flesh.  
  
The chilling screams continued and Kai started to listen to them now, their affect having worn off. Rising from the bed, he went to his bedroom door and cracked it open. Silence washed over him gently, like a breaking wave after a terrible storm. If he listened carefully enough, he could hear faint whimpers and fervent pleading. In the hallway, he stood in front of every door, until he remembered that strange boy, Zeo, saying that he resided in the room at the end of the hall. Stealthily, he approached the last door. A wave of renewed cries blasted through the cracks in the doorframe. Kai placed a hand on the knob and slowly began to twist it. Not that he cared for the boy or was concerned or was interested in anyway of why the boy was screaming. No, Kai only wanted Zeo to be silenced.  
  
Finding the door to be locked, he released the knob. The moment after, the screams ceased and Zeo's voice came from within. "Don't come in here! Whatever you do. Stay away! Go in the room across from yours and stay there. Don't come out till morning. Listen to me. Do what I say or you'll.you'll."  
  
A sharp sound like a slap resonated in the hallway and Zeo whimpered.  
  
"Shut up, you insignificant little brat." A deep voice commanded. A voice that definitely was not Zeo's. A voice that made even Kai a little uneasy. "Are you going to tell him everything? He shall find out in his own time." A smile lurked in the strange voice.  
  
Kai stepped away as an unearthly laughter emitted from behind the door. A laughter that sounded very familiar and filled Kai with utmost dread. He followed Zeo's instruction without another thought and entered the correct room. When the door was shut behind him, silence enveloped him. It was more deafening than the city during rush hour. After a moment, familiarity came over him. He was used to being alone in silence. This was nothing different. Except that this room allowed sound no entry, whilst his previous one did.  
  
How odd. Everything about this place is strange, Kai thought to himself. Standing before the window, the night was laid before him like a waiting lover. One he would gladly partake of, if only. Kai stared up at the blue moon hovering in the dark purple sky of early morning and sighed.  
  
Strange place indeed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A knock came upon the door, waking Kai from a reasonably peaceful sleep. He found himself lying on the windowsill with sunlight streaming through the large windows and into his eyes. The knock came again and reluctantly he answered it for now he was unsure of who could be waiting behind the door.  
  
Thankfully, it was only Zeo with a cheery smile on his face. "Good morning. I hope you slept well. Breakfast is waiting for us downstairs. I'm sure you must be hungry. I sure am. I could eat a whole cow myself." The boy giggled and bounded down the stairs.  
  
In spite of himself, Kai did a double take. Hadn't Zeo just been screaming bloody murder just a few hours ago? Why was he so giddy? Moreover, who was the other person in the room with him, who probably was the cause of his pain?  
  
"Kai! You're breakfast is going to get cold. If you don't come down here soon, I'm going to eat it for you." Zeo's voice sang up the staircase.  
  
Kai grunted and slowly descended the spiraling stairs until he reached the bottom. Looking about, he tried to locate the dining room of the house himself. He need not for Zeo came running up to him from his right, his long, playful green hair trying to keep up with his speed. The boy skidded to a stop just a few inches from Kai, careful not to touch him in anyway.  
  
"Breakfast is this way. Come on."  
  
The dining room could scarcely be called such; except for the fact that it was a room in which they were to dine. The room sank deep into the floor, forming a pit in which the ashes from what was a large burning fire lay. Above the blackened hole, a spit rested on two stakes with something on it. Zeo sat on one side of the hole and held out a spit to him.  
  
A scrutinizing glare was placed upon it. "What is it?"  
  
Zeo shrugged. "Don't know. I just know it's the only edible thing in this place. I've been eating it since I got here, which was a long time ago. It just appears out of nowhere on my doorstep whenever I run out or get hungry. And it hasn't killed me yet and it doesn't taste bad. It's good really." The boy took a bite from one of the spits and chewed happily, still offering the other to Kai.  
  
Sneering, the phoenix refused. Instead of watching the other boy eat, he leaned against the dark walls of the room and meditated. How could he get out of this place? There had to be a way. An exit could always be found if there was an entrance. He'd just have to go looking for it. And if that gnarly plant got in his way, he'd bring it into a fiery world of torment that no creature could survive. Save one: a phoenix.  
  
He could feel Zeo's light eyes upon him and deepened his frown. If the boy started crying again, he would just turn away. Kai had no sympathy. It was one of the many luxuries he could not afford; one he would never allow himself.  
  
Not even glancing at the boy, he rose from the cold hearth and headed straight for the exit. With each step he felt Zeo's anxiousness surrounding him like a fog.  
  
"Where are you going?" came the boy's feeble voice, barely above a whisper.  
  
Kai made no attempt to answer him, nor did he intend to, but continued walking until he came upon the front parlor and the door. He reached for the handle and Zeo jumped in front of him, blocking his exit. Growling, Kai tried to shove him aside but despite the boy's weak appearance he was really quite strong.  
  
"Let me pass!" Kai ordered.  
  
"No!" Zeo replied, holding back sobs. "You can't! You can't!"  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"He won't let you!" Zeo paled to a ghostly color and stammered to correct a mistake he had made, "I-I mean I won't let you."  
  
Ignoring the restatement, Kai asked, "Who's 'he'?"  
  
"It was a slip of the tongue. I mean to say 'me.'"  
  
Kai grabbed the boy by the shirtfront and shoved him into the door. "I'm not too fond of repeating myself. I'll ask you one last time: Who is 'he'?"  
  
The boy remained silent and this filled Kai with rage. "Answer me!" He slammed him again then threw the boy down hard onto the mat in front of the door.  
  
Zeo cried out in pain, clutching his arm. Slowly, he rose and said, "I am not allowed to answer that question. Go if you want but you are warned. If you leave, you will be killed."  
  
Kai's eyes widened. The voice coming out of the boy's mouth was not his own. It sounded like the stranger's in his bedroom from the night before! Zeo's bright eyes were glazed over and dark, seemingly lifeless as they stared at him.  
  
Then Zeo blinked and collapsed to the floor in a sobbing heap.  
  
If that boy stared crying again, he would just turn away. And that's exactly what Kai did. 


	5. Falling Up

FALLING UP  
  
Kai leaned against one of the walls of the library, his eyes scanning over the hundreds of books before him but never settling on one. All of them were written in a foreign language, one that looked like scribbles upon the pages. A fire burned in the hearth of the room, warming his chilled flesh. It was night again. He had gone through a whole day of being in this strange world with that odd boy.  
  
Oddly enough, Zeo was busily alphabetizing all the books in the grand library, meaning that he probably could read the writing or was just trying to pass the time. Kai sighed, staring at the tangled appendages of the carnivorous plant. Zeo called it, 'the creeping evil,' but Kai thought the name too childish and never used it. Whatever it maybe called, he wanted it gone so he could find a way home and soon.  
  
"Hey, Kai. Could you please help me?" Zeo's voice asked the other side of the room.  
  
"With what?" Kai pushed against the wall and leaned forward, seeing Zeo standing on the top of the ladder, trying to place a book in a slot too tall for his short reach.  
  
"I can't reach it." He stated, struggling to maintain his balance. "You're a lot taller than me. Maybe you can."  
  
Kai crossed his arm. He wasn't in the mood to help the boy, or do anything besides think of a way out for that matter. "Can't you just put it somewhere else?"  
  
"No, this is where it goes. I have to put everything where it belongs."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Zeo paused for a moment and said, "I want to. No one told me to. I just felt like it."  
  
Kai hadn't asked if anyone told him to, so the phoenix's suspicions grew as they had been since yesterday. The boy was obviously keeping something from him. Even though Kai himself was harboring secrets, the personality of the boy was like an open book. Except one chapter had been ripped out by someone and though he rather wouldn't admit it, Kai wanted to read it...badly.  
  
"Fine." Kai sighed and climbed up the extremely tall ladder without effort. Zeo handed him the book and moved to the very edge of the ladder head, always careful not even to brush against Kai. The bluenette easily put the book back in its place. "Anything else?"  
  
Zeo nodded and gave him another. "It goes over there." Farther to the right, but still accessible, only thing was that Zeo was in his way. He'd have to be practically all over the boy to put the book back. The boy probably planned it to happen that way for the stupidest grin consumed his face and Zeo was trying desperately to hide it.  
  
"Could you move?"  
  
"Without touching you I can't and you don't want me to touch you. I promised I wouldn't."  
  
"Then you can put it away yourself!" Angrily Kai threw the book at him. The force of it caused Zeo to lose his balance and fall off the ladder. Without thinking, Kai reached out after the boy, hoping to catch him but he was too late. With terror, he watched Zeo dive towards the carpeted floor. Shutting his eyes, Kai couldn't bear to watch the impact and waited to hear the sickening thud that would hail the young boy's finish.  
  
None came.  
  
Peeking open an eye he saw Zeo standing right in front of him on the ladder, where he had been before. The boy raised a slender eyebrow at him and gave him the book again. "So, are you going to put it up there or not?"  
  
Kai nearly fell off the ladder himself. Hadn't he just been falling to his doom? "How is this possible?" He asked. "Aren't you supposed to be dead or seriously injured?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not."  
  
"Well, then how did you get back up here?"  
  
"I just did." Zeo sighed, exasperated. "If you're not going to put it back, then I will." His sea green eyes glowed brightly just like they did when Kai had first met him and the book floated up to its slot as if on invisible strings.  
  
Kai glared at the boy. "What's your deal?"  
  
"I have not the slightest clue what you are talking about." As Kai looked at him, it dawned on him that Zeo was a bit different now. He was talking less like a three-year old and his voice wasn't as giddy. He seemed to be quite serious, as if he was Zeo's alter ego.  
  
"You are too weird. I am out of here." Kai soared down the ladder with Zeo right behind him. At the bottom he waited for the boy to land and looked into his eyes. They had changed back to normal and were filled with trepidation.  
  
"Please, I've asked you so many times, don't leave, so please don't leave me. I beg of you." The boy went down on his knees and clasped his hands tightly together. "Please, don't go. If you do, we'll both be dead. You, at the clutches of the creeping evil and I'll die of loneliness. Please." Tears were beginning to form in his eyes and Kai balled his hands into fist.  
  
"Quit acting like such a baby!" Kai ordered, reaching his limit with the boy's childish antics. "Grow up because I'm no babysitter!" He stormed out of the room with Zeo crawling after him. Kai whirled around. "I'm not leaving, not yet anyway. And if you don't want me to, then go away! If you don't, I will leave." He marched up the stairs to his room, locked the door, and pulled at his hair. That kid is so annoying. He's even worst than Tyson! If he listened to what I said about touching, then maybe he will leave me alone. That'd be a relief. He's no help while I'm trying to find a way out.  
  
Kai calmed himself and lied down on the soft mattress of his bed, staring up at the ceiling. For the first time, he noticed that this ceiling was different from the other one. Instead of being plain and white, covered by small bumps of plaster, this ceiling was covered with a giant mural: half of it was a world of sunshine, filled with the laughter of children, unicorns, and happiness; the other was darkness, pure evil, with tombstones covering the land, and red eyes piercing through the gloom.  
  
Kai sat up. The world on his right was just like his dreams, the reason why he was here in the first place. Chills ran through him and he controlled his trembling. Now that he had noticed it, he couldn't possibly sleep in a room with his nightmares hovering above him. Zeo, though, had told him to stay here, and if that boy planned on screaming again tonight, he wanted to stay put. Yet those piercing eyes would allow him no peaceful rest.  
  
He left his room and searched the hall for another one more suitable. Looking through every door, he found the other rooms identical to the one he had first been in, meaning that they would let Zeo's cries disturb him for the night. The only rooms left were Zeo's and the one the boy had told him to sleep in.  
  
Making sure no one was looking, Kai tried Zeo's door again. Still locked. He backed down the hallway and entered the room he had been in. He lied back down on the bed and glowered at the right side of the ceiling. "If you try anything funny while I'm sleeping, you'll pay."  
  
Faintly, the sound of soft laughter rang in his ears. Bravely, he ignored it, placed a pillow over his head, and gently drifted into the arms of Sleep, hoping to be blessed with a pleasant dream or none at all.  
  
Instead, Sleep dropped and cursed him terribly.  
  
*******************************  
  
In a field of daisies he lied beneath the sunny sky, smiling at the warmth surrounding him. He could feel happiness in the air, joy flowing through the ground. The world was carefree and wonderful. He couldn't help but smile. Soon his smile faded, for dark clouds loomed ominously in the distance, coming closer with each passing second. Fear encased the land and the all contentment was crushed underfoot, replaced by darkest night. Screams carried by the wind howled around him, the earth trembled under his feet, thunder clapped overhead as if enjoying the show of fear. Suddenly, the ground opened up beneath him and swallowed him up.  
  
Amongst rising tombstones, he lied beneath the darkened sky, being drenched by the pouring rain. A cloud of darkness surrounded him and held him close. He felt the warmth of another person, as he was pressed harder against it. He could even feel a heartbeat. He wrapped his arms around the unseen person, glad to have at least someone to comfort him.  
  
"There, there," the person consoled, "It's going to be all right now."  
  
The back of Kai's mind pricked at the sound of its voice. It was quiet and spoken barely above a whisper. As he realized this, the flesh he was embraced fell away, replaced by shadows. The warmth turned to ice underneath his fingertips and the beating heart ceased. He tried to pull away, but the figure held onto him tightly. Fingers ran through his bangs and hands caressed his cheeks.  
  
"Oh," the figure moaned in pleasure. "Finally, after waiting so long, you're finally in my arms at last, my dear." Dark hands cupped his face and brought it forward towards the figure's devious grin. Jerking quickly away, Kai escaped the grasp and ensued the wrath of the dark personage.  
  
"Don't resist. There's no way you can."  
  
Kai backed away and ran into a wall. With each stride, the figure drew ever nearer. Searching for someway to escape, he frantically looked around but found none. His breath quickened as the figure was almost upon him. Images flashed through his head of what might happen. He closed his eyes and prayed fervently for salvage.  
  
A green light shone down on him from above and the figure cried out in pain, covering its blood red eyes. Kai felt himself being lifted up and out of the dreary world. The figure ran and tried to make a grab for him, but Kai kicked its hand away.  
  
"You belong to me." The figure hissed, disappearing into the gloom. "You're mine. Remember that, my dear. Remember it always...Kai."  
  
*******************************  
  
He opened his eyes and stared up into the face of Zeo.  
  
The boy looked scared. "I'm sorry. I know I was supposed to leave you alone, but I knew something bad was happening. I couldn't let you suffer like that. I won't do it again. Promise." He headed towards the door. "I'll be going now."  
  
"Wait."  
  
The boy stopped and bit his lip.  
  
Kai let out a long sigh. "It's all right. If anything like this happens again, which it most likely will, feel free to come in here and wake me up. I'd rather you annoy me than to play out bad dreams."  
  
In his happiness, Zeo forgot all about his promise and jumped onto the bed, wrapping Kai a huge hug. The latter felt a wave of fear run through him, remembering his embrace with the figure of darkness in his dream. Remembering how it had felt so real, as if it had really happened. He pried Zeo off and rubbed his shoulders in uneasiness. Putting on his stone mask, he told Zeo to get out of his room, which the boy immediately obeyed, apologizing repetitively on the way out that he was sorry for breaking his promise and that would never to it again.  
  
"Honest."  
  
"Just get out." Kai waved him away and sat alone in the quiet of the room. As the night became darker and the air in the room grew colder, he started to wish he hadn't sent Zeo away so soon. 


	6. Failures and Victories

FAILURES AND VICTORIES  
  
The realness of the embrace haunted him. Goose bumps rose on his flesh every time he thought of it. The way the figure had spoken to him was exactly the same as the person behind the hand of darkness, calling him: 'dear one' and 'my dear.' He cringed at the words. Why did it say that? Why did it plague his sleep and want him so? The questions were pushed aside as Zeo entered the parlor, holding a tray of tea.  
  
It had been three days and Kai still hadn't eaten the food Zeo offered to him. Again he refused Zeo. The boy became worried.  
  
"You have to eat sometime. I know you're hungry. I can hear your stomach growling from upstairs. The food isn't going to hurt you. It hasn't done anything but help me live since I've been here." Zeo sat next to Kai on the velveteen sofa and placed the tray on the table in front of him.  
  
Before Kai could say anything, his stomach roared loudly and Zeo burst out laughing.  
  
"See what'd I tell you. Come on, have something to eat."  
  
Regarding the food with a distasteful look, Kai slowly poured himself some tea. He looked at the dark liquid in the cup, but could not motivate himself to drink it. Why he did not wish to eat was something he could not explain. It was as if the food was giving off bad aura, as if something had been put in it, something lethal. Kai set the tea back down and placed a hand on his torso, commanding his hunger to subside.  
  
"Kai..."  
  
A deadly glare Kai gave the boy immediately made Zeo stuff his mouth with more food to keep from saying anything else. Kai rose from the couch and paced up and down the parlor, lost in deep thought. Zeo's eyes secretly followed his every move and the feeling of being watched agitated him, but he chose not to say anything. The boy would only whimper and probably start crying again. Pathetic.  
  
Kai stopped in front of the parlor window and rested his arms against the blanketed sill. Not even looking at Zeo, who was trying to sneak into the room unnoticed, he asked, "How long have you been here exactly?"  
  
Having been caught, Zeo froze in mid-step. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Snapping his head in the boy's direction, Kai spoke with a hint of venom. "You know how I feel about repeating myself and having my questions unanswered."  
  
The boy seemed to shrink and wither under Kai's fiery, displeased gaze and quickly sat down. He scratched his chin in thought. "Well, let's see. It's so hard to tell time here, really. Um. I'd have to say about...eight years."  
  
Upon hearing this, Kai slammed his fists onto the sill, reducing the marble to crumbling pieces. Zeo yelped at the sound and as Kai shook with rage. "There is no way I am staying here eight years." He hissed through clenched teeth. Pointing a bloody finger at Zeo, he spat, "Especially not with you!"  
  
The boy dashed out of the room, wailing, pounding his feet on the stairs as he made his way up. Zeo slammed his bedroom behind him, but Kai did not hear it. Lost within his own internal torment, Kai was filled with more determination, now than ever, to find his way back home. Nothing mattered except getting out of this strange world.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Sitting upon his bed, Kai pondered over many plans concocting in his mind, trying to eliminate all the dubious ones to be left with the plan most effective. Finally, after many hours of deliberation, he was at last left with one remaining plan, one that he would put into effect as soon as he confirmed something.  
  
Quietly, he left his room and went to the front door. Knowing he took a large risk, he stepped outside. The rich light of the planet's two white suns embraced him in its warmth, warmth that hardly melted the ice encasing his heart. Squinting at the blinding sands, he waited patiently on the nonexistent doorstep leading to Zeo's invisible house. Sweat poured down his brow and his skin pinked with sunburn as he stood in the seemingly endless desert. Leaving the door open a crack, Kai decided to have one final test. He walked forward, making sure to keep the door in sight and waited for an additional fifteen minutes. Smiling, he returned to the house, closing the door after him.  
  
The 'creeping evil,' as Zeo likes to call it, must not be too fond of the heat of this world's suns. Kai looked at his reddened skin and smirked. Not that I would blame it. The sands beneath the surface are much cooler, and if it needs sun for chlorophyll it can raise a tentacle or two above the ground. Ingenious. As a result, I may have found my way home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The two suns were high in the sky when Kai set off on his mission to find the illusive well he had fallen out of. The entire desert looked the same from every angle, therefore trying to find the exact spot he had woke up in would be difficult. However, it would be much easier than spending another day trapped in the same house with Zeo.  
  
When he believed he had found the mangled cactus he had seen the first night, he stared up. Not one cloud laced the emerald sky, so finding the well should be easy. Yet, he could not find it in the endless expanse above, now darkening as the suns were beginning to set. Kicking up the sand, he cursed the world around him and headed back to the house.  
  
In his haste, Kai realized he had left no trail, thus did not know in which direction the house lay. Since it was invisible, he could not see its location. The suns disappeared behind the horizon and night settled in. A scream echoed across the desert, as ear splitting as it had been the first night. Before him, the large 'creeping evil' rose from the ground, writhing and flailing its tentacles about. A few of its appendages reached out to him and before he could even think, had him by the ankles, knocked him to the ground and pulled him towards its awaiting mouth.  
  
Its razor sharp beak snapped open and shut as he was brought closer. Kai struggled to break free from its strong grip, but the harder he tried the tighter its grasp became. Losing breathe and less than a foot away from its jaws, he watched a purplish-blue tongue covered with daggers extend from its mouth and slowly lick him. He gasped in pain as his whole entire back felt as if a fiery liquid was consuming him in its deadly flames. Apparently pleased by his taste, it reeled him in farther and just as the hand of Death reached out to him, an angel of light shoved the hand away and led him out of the pool of decay he lied in.  
  
The sand stung his wounds like a horde of irritated bees, and the pain was overwhelming. As the world began to turn as black as night, the angel lingered in his view and with a smile on his lips, he let the darkness consume him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When at last his eyes opened, Kai found himself staring up at ceiling of dueling worlds, light versus dark. Sitting up in his bed, he winced in pain as flames licked his back again. He fell back down on the mattress and heard someone enter the room, saying, "Oh no, don't move. That wouldn't be good for your recovery."  
  
Zeo held in his hands a wad of bandages to replace the ones that were strapped around Kai's torso. Gently he removed them and grimaced at the sight. As he looked over his shoulder, Kai observed his face and curiously asked, "Is it really that bad?"  
  
Nodding, Zeo put some salve in his hands and rubbed it on the wounds. Kai was surprised when he felt no pain, nothing but the boy's cool, soothing hands upon his back. Carefully, the boy wrapped fresh bandages around him and tossed the soiled ones away. Zeo sat on a chair he had pulled into the room and kept his eyes downcast.  
  
"I'm sorry for touching you, I know you don't like it...or me...but all things considered, I didn't really have a choice. Until you get better, I'll have to change your bandages and apply salves, unless you don't want to get better. So try to deal with it for now, okay? After you get better, I won't ever do it again. So until then, forgive me."  
  
Kai sighed. The boy wanted his approval and friendship so desperately it was sickening. Glancing over at the pitiful boy, he muttered, "I guess thanks are in order for saving me. So thank you." He rolled his eyes as Zeo's happiness shone brightly like sunshine throughout the room.  
  
Zeo grinned as he pulled his chair closer to Kai's bedside. "Your welcome. It wasn't like I hadn't done it before. What were you doing out there anyway? You know it's dangerous out there, and I don't think you knew how to get back to safety. So why were you out there?"  
  
"I was trying to get away from you." Kai snapped automatically. The happiness disappeared and a cloud of gloom hovered above Zeo's head. Sighing exasperatingly, Kai threw up one of his hands. "Don't you dare start crying or I'll hit you."  
  
"Were you looking for a way out?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
Zeo took in deep breaths to stop the tears. "You really want to leave, don't you?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You don't like me much, do you?"  
  
Kai remained silent.  
  
"You think I'm annoying and weird and stupid and freaky and odd and you hate me, don't you? If you had found a way out, you'd leave me here to die. You'd like me to die, wouldn't you? You hate me! Why is that? I haven't done anything to make you not like me. What did I do wrong? Why don't you like me, Kai?" Zeo hadn't shed a tear but each of his words trickled down his cheeks in sadness. "Why?"  
  
Kai looked away and at the curtains concealing the window. "I'm not a person who's very fond of social contact. I'm a loner and that's all there is to it."  
  
A ray of hope gleamed in the boy's eyes and he asked, "Couldn't you at least try to like me? Just a little?"  
  
Kai scoffed and closed his eyes. "Whatever," he mumbled and Zeo assumed it as a confirmation.  
  
"Goodnight, Kai. Rest up. If you need anything just ring that bell on your nightstand. Sleep well." Zeo quietly exited the room, once again having switched from grieving to glad in an instance.  
  
He is so weird, Kai thought and gradually fell asleep as the suns peeked through the curves of the curtains, lighting his calm face while he slept. 


	7. In Tale

IN TALE  
  
The next day, Zeo entered the room early in the morning, holding a book in his hands. Pulling his chair close to the bed, he settled down and cleared his throat loudly.  
  
Kai raised an eyebrow. "What are you planning on doing?"  
  
"I'm going to read to you."  
  
"Highly doubtful."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Zeo asked, defensively. "I can read the words and most likely translate them so you can understand. It'd be good for you. You'll be able to relax and not think of anything but what you're picturing in your head."  
  
Kai suddenly remembered that the books in the library were written in a different tongue, one that looked like scribbles. "What language is that anyway?"  
  
"The story doesn't have a title. I'm sure it's good." Zeo said, quickly evading the question.  
  
In no position to protest, Kai sighed and said, "Fine. Read it if you must."  
  
The boy wiggled happily in his seat and he began to read.  
  
"They call me the coldest and the cruelest man to ever scour the earth. Snapping at all who come near like a dog, growling as well, I make my way through crowds. They moved quickly aside from me. I see the fear in their eyes as I pass. I intimidate them and I'm glad I do. I don't even touch them as I pass. If I did, they'd feel a burning like no other upon their flesh. My touch is deadly; my looks could kill. I glare sharp daggers at all who dare take a quick glance at me. They feel each and every blade imbedded in them. I defeat all whom oppose me. Oh, the seldom few! How foolish they are to even think they could stand a chance against my power, against my might, against me. I am invincible..."  
  
Kai perked his head up and glared hotly at Zeo.  
  
Zeo, feeling the heat of his stare, tried hard to hide a smile. "I'm just reading what it says. Sounds a bit close to home, doesn't it?"  
  
"Pick another one."  
  
"No. I'm reading this one. Listen."  
  
"I pass through life unscathed. Nothing and no one can harm be. If anyone tries to harm me, with one strike of my hand, they quiver and tremble in fear, pleading for mercy, to be spared. Pitiful fools. They mean nothing to me. Insignificant compared to my vast superiority. Nothing they say or do can affect me in any way. I am unbreakable.  
  
"As I walk the vacant streets, I am greeted by nothing but empty shadows. A single lamplight flickers, my only ray of sunshine, snuffed out by a bitter wind. Home is not a home to me. It's prison; the windows are the bars of my soul, in bondage for eternity. As the day comes to an end, I realize the coldest truth of all: despite my actions, I long for the company of others to free my soul a little, to help me cope with my internal torment. Yet, I can never say what I truly want to. I'll forever be held captive by my own fears. I'll always be alone."  
  
Zeo sighed. "Sad, isn't it? Kind of reminds me of you. And I think you pretend you don't like me, even though you do a little because you can't express yourself well."  
  
"I can express myself fine. If I say I don't like someone, then I don't."  
  
"Okay, okay. The next story is scary, I think, but I'm sure it's nothing you can't handle."  
  
"It's coming. Coming to get me. I must get away. I must flee before it can snatch me. I can't let it catch me. If I do, then I shall cease to exist! I do not wish to die. Life is precious and without peer. I want to live! Don't let it find me!  
  
"Hark! Do you hear it? Its whispered words float across the bitter winds of the moor. Do you hear its harsh laughter? It knows I'm not far away. I must escape, but I find myself trapped. There is nowhere for me to run. Haunted shores of an eerie lake sweep at my right. The dark moors of utter gloom stand before me, smiling wickedly with its gnarly trees. To my right, tar pits and sand traps dangerous to tread upon during the night. Behind me is the wall of a stark white castle, encased in creeping ivy, locked and barred from every side. How I pray for salvage!  
  
"Its cold breath tickles the back of my neck. Its claws prick my skin and its gooseflesh. Its smile causes me to tremble uncontrollably. It's here. So soon! How quickly the shadows of darkness fly through the night, searching out its victims. It embraces me in its coldness and though I struggle, I find I cannot break away.  
  
"In a voice of whispers, its says to me, 'There is no means of escape for you...my dear."  
  
"STOP IT!" Kai shouted, covering his ears. "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"  
  
Zeo put the book away and place a comforting hand on him, saying, "I'm sorry. I didn't know you'd be scared by it. I promise I'll never read it again. Please, don't be upset."  
  
Kai grabbed the boy's shirt collar and yanked him forward until their foreheads were nearly touching. Fear lined Zeo's dark lashes and Kai sent him hurdling over his chair and into the far wall. Naively, Kai asked, "Where did you get those books?"  
  
"I got them from the library, of course. I promise I'll never read it again. Don't be upset!"  
  
Kai got out of bed, ignoring the pain. "Show me where."  
  
"I don't think that would be wise. You're not in any condition to..." Zeo sighed, finding no point in arguing with the older, taller, and stronger boy, even if he was injured. "Fine. Follow me." Zeo led Kai downstairs and to the library. He climbed up the ladder to the tenth shelf and ran a hand along it. "Here is where I got them from."  
  
Kai hovered over his shoulder and asked, "What do the titles say?"  
  
"Um, well, there's 'The Loner' which I read you; 'Midnight Shadows,' which I got half-way through, and others, including 'The Legendary Firebird,' and...why do you look like that?"  
  
Kai grabbed the book detailing the firebird and looked at the cover. On it was an exact depiction of his Dranzer! He threw the book down as if it had burned him. "You might be more than right, Zeo. These are a little too close to home. And what's more, I think you know why." Kai cornered him by the shelf. "Tell me. Why are aspects of my life depicted in these stories?"  
  
"Coincidence?" Zeo shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"Not likely. Don't lie to me. Tell me why."  
  
"I don't know."  
  
Kai slammed him into the rungs of the ladder. "You're lying!"  
  
"No, I'm not! Don't you ever accuse me of that again! I never would ever lie to you, Kai."  
  
"Sure you wouldn't." Kai scoffed, brushing himself off.  
  
"I wouldn't! Never! I don't know why the books talk a bit about you. I've even found myself in these tales. I don't know, okay?"  
  
Kai reached past the book and gathered up all the books on the tenth shelf, chucking them over his shoulders. They fell in scattered piles on the floor. As Kai was descending, he asked, "Is the fire in the kitchen still going?"  
  
"Yes, but what do you plan to do?"  
  
Kai gathered up the fallen books. "I'm going to burn them."  
  
Zeo jumped down. "No, you can't do that!"  
  
A questioning look was sent his way. "And why not?"  
  
"Because..." he seemed to search for a reason, "because..."  
  
"See, you have no good reason for me not to do so."  
  
"No, I do, but I just can't say. Only that you can't burn them."  
  
"Why don't you just state your reason?"  
  
"I told you 'because I can't.'"  
  
"I'm not stopping you."  
  
Zeo thought for a moment and said, "He wouldn't be happy. He wrote those books."  
  
"Again with this 'he.' Who is 'he'?"  
  
The boy drew circles in the rug with his big toe. "I can't say."  
  
Sighing in frustration, Kai made his way to the dining room, with Zeo trying his best to talk Kai out of it. Nothing, though, would deter the phoenix's mind. These documents showed his weakness, his innermost fears, probably even his desires. Letting it be would allow his being to be openly exposed for scrutiny, clearly uncovered for Zeo's viewing pleasure. Zeo already knew too much as it was. He couldn't let him know anymore about him, no matter how subtle it was in relations to him.  
  
The fire roared as he entered the dining room. With one heave, the flames consumed all the books, turning them to ashes within mere seconds. The smell of burnt paper filled the room. Above the sound of the towering flames, Kai heard Zeo cry out. He ran back to the library and found the boy lying in a ball, quivering. His face was stained with tears and he was clutching his side. Kai propped him up and lifted his shirt. A large purple bruise was forming, as if someone had kicked him.  
  
"What happened?"  
  
Zeo managed a little smile and rested his head against Kai's chest. He closed his bright eyes and yawned. As he slowly drifted to sleep, he replied in a small voice, "I can't say." 


	8. Aptitude for Oddity

Warning: contains subtle shounen ai.  
  
APTITUDE FOR ODDITY  
  
From that day onward, Zeo began to act stranger than usual. Kai returned reluctantly to bed rest upon the boy's insistence, and every slightest move he made, Zeo watched intently. The boy did not leave his bedside, not event to go his own room to sleep. He only departed from his side when he was given an errand or when nature called. Kai, who was used to being alone, was not happy with the new arrangements.  
  
"I need a little space. So, go away for a little while."  
  
"Okay. If you need me, just holler." Zeo inched out of the room slowly. With each step, Kai longed for him to leave even more. The moment he was out of sight, Kai sighed, thankful. Not a moment had gone by where Zeo was not at least two feet from him. He craved solitude and was extremely happy that he had it once more.  
  
He needs therapy, thought Kai to himself. Badly. He's even weirder than before, all because I held him once. I wasn't even really holding him. Just propping him up to see what was wrong. Maybe since he's been alone for so long, he's gone more than over the edge. That's understandable, but if he dares calls me anything but Kai, I will strangle him. I have no toleration for pet names.  
  
Rising from the bed, Kai went over the dresser and peered into the mirror at his reflection. He appeared relatively the same: bangs of softest blue fading into tresses of twilight, eyes of mahogany that burned with an inner fire, a tight-lipped scowl, fins of blue tattooed on his cheeks. His clothes were a little dirty and his shirt had been lost in his encounter with the Creeping evil, but at least he had bandages as a makeshift replacement. Who knew how Zeo would react if he was bare-chested all the time. Kai still had his beloved white scarf that was the cherry to his sundae of imposing attire, however it wasn't around his neck. He scrambled around the room scouring for it. Everywhere he looked. It could not be found.  
  
Then he heard a giggle coming from outside the room and saw a shadow against the wall. He stormed over to the door. "Where is it?"  
  
Zeo giggled more. "You're going to have to find it."  
  
Kai scanned the boy with his eyes and saw a bit of white fabric spilling out of his pocket. He made a grab for it, but Zeo jumped out of his reach and waved it teasingly in the air.  
  
"Come and get it," the boy sang.  
  
"I have no time for foolishness. Just give me what is rightful mine."  
  
"Where's the fun in that?"  
  
Kai snarled. "I assure you it's a whole lot more fun that pushing my buttons."  
  
"I like pushing your buttons!"  
  
"Too bad. You keep doing it and I'm likely to leave again."  
  
Zeo's countenance dropped and he quickly held out Kai's scarf. "I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Please, don't leave. I was only having a little fun. I'm sorry. Don't go. Please."  
  
Kai snatched it back. Looking into Zeo's pleading eyes, he muttered, "Such a freak." He returned to the bedroom, hearing Zeo's footsteps behind him. Without turning, he said, "I asked you to leave me alone for a little while."  
  
"I am leaving you alone." Zeo marched down the stairs. "Would you like me to bring you up something to eat after a bit?"  
  
"No."  
  
"But you haven't eaten anything and it's been already a week. I had to force liquids down your throat just so you wouldn't die of dehydration. You don't want your physique to melt away into nothing but skin and bones, do you? I'll bring you something anyway, whether you like it or not, and force you to eat it. I told you before, 'it's not going to kill you.' I've been eating it for years and I'm fine."  
  
"'Fine?' You're a far cry from that." He sat on the bed and listened the boy's steps upon the stairs, waiting until they were gone before he climbed back out of bed and removed his bandages. Deep lacerations crawled along his skin, from his lower back up to his shoulder blades. An impassive face viewed his healing injuries. They would heal soon enough, and not even a trace would be found in a few months or so.  
  
Suddenly thinking about the future made his mind fall to back to the Blade Breakers back home. He wondered how they were coping without him. I bet they've already gotten a replacement for me. They probably don't even know that I'm gone. Oh well. A pang of homesickness struck at his heart, beating against the cold stone surrounding it. He brushed the feeling away and waited for Zeo to come back up. At least things weren't so lonely with him.  
  
As if on cue, the boy came through the door with piping hot soup. Careful not to spill any, he placed the two bowls on Kai's nightstand. "Smells good, doesn't it?" Zeo fanned the scent in Kai's direction with a potholder. "I haven't had soup in a long time, and to my surprise, it showed up!"  
  
Zeo placed a bed tray on Kai's lap and put the soup on top of it. The broth was creamy; its milky substance hid whatever lied within. When Kai did not attempt to eat it, the boy inquired, "Do I have to feed you like a baby or are you going to eat yourself like a big boy?"  
  
Snatching a spoon from Zeo's grasp, Kai took a sip. Though thick in consistency and unsavory, it was better than what Zeo had been eating for the past week. "What do you mean it just 'showed up'? You didn't make it?"  
  
"You forget so easily. I told you already. Food appears out of nowhere on my doorstep whenever I run out or get hungry. We were running low so I went out and discovered a pot of soup. Mm, it's really good too. So nice and warm!" The boy happily slurped his soup while Kai pondered over what he had just said.  
  
As soon as Zeo was finished, he spent the rest of the time watching Kai eat. With fascination, he watched the bluenette bring his spoon to his lips, as if he had never seen someone eat before. Kai tolerated this for a little while, then finally pushed his bowl aside.  
  
"Are you done?"  
  
Kai nodded and the tray was taken away.  
  
Zeo smiled, leaving the room for a moment. Kai wondered where he was going, but his questions were answered when the boy came back holding two pieces of Devil's Food cake. "Whoever feeds us must be in a really good mood. I also found this. Doesn't it look scrumptious!" The boy hacked off a slice and brought it to Kai's mouth. "Taste it."  
  
He refused.  
  
Zeo's eyes became soft and dark. He began to look more delicate, more feminine. "Please?" He asked in a gentle voice.  
  
Kai shifted position, suddenly uncomfortable. Something was happening to the boy, but what, he did not know. What he did know was that he didn't like it once bit. He took the cake from Zeo and tossed it, yet the boy's face remained the same, still entreating.  
  
Zeo sat on the bed and untwined his long hair from its braid, running his fingers through it. Now Kai was very ill at ease. He couldn't tell what Zeo was. There was no distinction whether he was boy or girl.  
  
The boy leaned forward and Kai asked, "What are you doing?"  
  
Zeo blinked rapidly, seemingly coming out from a trance. "Huh?" He looked at his loose hair spilling around him and at the pieces of cake questioningly. Everything seemed to come back to him and blushing, he braided his hair back. He gathered up the dessert and hurriedly left the room.  
  
Bewildered, Kai sat in his bed, staring after the boy. Zeo had an aptitude for oddity. 


	9. Unceased Searching

Warning: More subtle shounen ai, death, and torture  
  
UNCEASED SEARCHING  
  
After a few days, though he was not well enough, Kai managed to take care of himself. Without Zeo's approval, he left the bed and carried on through the days as he normally did. Every now a then, though, he stopped to rest and allow his wounds to heal fully. During this time, he explored every inch of the house just to pass the time, room-by-room. He had already made it through the entire upper levels, notwithstanding Zeo's room as well as the dining room, the library, the parlor and the hall.  
  
Resting in front of the fireplace in the parlor, out of the corner of his eye, he watched Zeo dust and tidy the place up. Grey clouds of powder flew up into his face and the boy sneezed. His long hair appeared to sneeze with him and Kai smirked as the boy cleared his throat. Stupid kid.  
  
Though nothing had been said between them within those few days, Zeo apparently was no longer embarrassed and wanted to break the cycle of silence that Kai had been enjoying so much. The boy moseyed on over to him, adjusted the small apron he wore, and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Would Sir like anything?"  
  
"To be left alone."  
  
Zeo frowned and then smiled. "Oh look, it seems I missed a piece of furniture. How could I since no one is sitting in it? Oh well, time to clean it." He tickled Kai's nose with the end of his feather duster and Kai forced it away. Zeo tittered and Kai glowered at him.  
  
"Not funny."  
  
Zeo zipped up and sped to the other side of the room, suddenly becoming thoroughly engrossed in a dust bunny that was hopping about on the billiard table, trying to push the Eight Ball into the corner pocket.  
  
Kai left Zeo's oddness and decided it was time to continue his exploration. Standing at the front door, he examined the pictures that were strewn about the walls, having never taken the time before to consider them. The first was a portrait of a young woman with long white hair and a beautiful smile. Her eyes glittered with life, and Kai could've sworn she was real, though stuck upon a canvas. The next was of the young woman and her consort, a strikingly handsome man with a thick mustache. Another was of a beautiful field of daisies. Kai stopped. The field was the exact same one that he laid upon in the last dream he had! Another was a world of sunshine, like in the mural on the ceiling. Quickly, he advanced to the last remaining pictures: one of the young woman, old and wrinkled, all of the life in her eyes sucked dry, another of her consorts grave-one amongst a sea of tombstones, and the last was nothing but a black canvas. He wondered if the artist had made some mistake, but then saw in a certain light, eyes the color of scarlet.  
  
Kai covered his mouth and collapsed in an armchair in the library. Zeo must have sensed his discomfort for he rushed into the room and kneeled before him.  
  
"What's the matter? What happened?"  
  
"Nothing. It's none of your concern."  
  
With those words spoken, Zeo looked as if he had been slapped. He grabbed Kai's arms and exclaimed, "That's not true! Everything that happens to you concerns me, in one way or another. Don't you ever say that again! You're very important to me. And no matter how many times you rebuke me, no matter how many times you're mean to me or conceited, I will always be there, caring about you until the day I die. Do you understand that? Don't you ever say that your welfare is none of my concern again! Do you hear me? Never! Never." Zeo lowered his head onto Kai's knees and penetrated his pant fabric with his tears.  
  
Kai forced Zeo off him and asked, "What do you mean everything that happens to me concerns you in one way or another? What is that supposed to mean? What's come over you? You're acting stranger than usual."  
  
Zeo's emotions were too overwhelming he couldn't reply. Though he whispered, "I've said too much. Oh, I'm going to get punished for this." His moaning grew louder and his sobs harder as he gripped the rug at Kai's feet.  
  
Confused, he left Zeo and felt a calling from the pictures. Going back to them, he stood in front of the first one, the young woman, and stared. Her eyes still glittered and her smile was still beautiful. Some instinct made him look down at her hands. One was resting perfectly in her lap, while the other held a glass ball. Interesting, thought Kai.  
  
Upon closer inspection, he discovered that inside the glass ball was a sun and tall grass waving in the wind. He stepped over and viewed the portrait of her old age. She still held the ball in her hand, but the image inside it was different. This time it held a glowing moon, white like the one from his world.  
  
Returning to the library, he called, "Hey, do you know what that glass ball is in those pictures?" To his surprise, Zeo was no longer in the room. A cry drifted down the stairs and Kai ran up and banged on Zeo's bedroom door. "What's happening in there?"  
  
Whimpers he received as a reply followed by fanatical cries of distress. He remembered Zeo saying that he was going to be punished for what he had said and his cries were much more terror-stricken. "Zeo? Can you hear me?"  
  
"Kai? Oh, you must go. Stay away from here...or else...uh!" The cries continued and Kai, disturbed by the sounds, decided to break down to door to find out what was wrong.  
  
With a couple of hard rams, the door broke off its hinges and Kai stumbled into a horrible place that could not even be called a room. Small and cramped, chains hung from the ceilings above a bed of nails, where traps laid strewn across the floor. Across from him, Zeo was handcuffed to the wall, screaming at the top of his lungs. In the darkness overcastting the boy's room, he could not see the cause of Zeo's suffering. Avoiding the traps on the floor, he made his way over and as he approached the boy, the darkness lifted and Zeo's hollering ceased. The handcuffs holding the boy shot open and he fell into Kai's arms.  
  
"I told you not to come in here." He sobbed.  
  
"I'm not about to listen to you. Why were you been punished? What's hurting you?"  
  
Zeo tried to respond but the pain he was in caused him to utter a final scream, before he collapsed unconscious. A few moments later, Kai joined him.  
  
*******************************  
  
Someone shook his shoulders, rousing him from a rare peaceful slumber. Slowly, he opened his eyes and to his disbelief, beheld Rei kneeling at his side. Kai gawped, unable to belief that Rei was actually there. Momentarily, he brushed a hand against the Chinese boy's cheek. Upon feeling soft warm flesh, he quickly retracted.  
  
Rei smiled gently. "You've been sleeping all day. Come on. The guys have already started practicing and we need you to critique some of our newest moves."  
  
Kai rose, his crimson brown eyes following Rei, who stood lingering in the doorway.  
  
The Chinese boy stared at him expectantly. "Are you coming, Kai? Or do I have to get Tyson in here to drag you out with that mouth of his?" He laughed, his bright eyes glimmering in contrast with his midnight hair. Reentering the room, Rei grabbed Kai's wrist and dragged him outside himself.  
  
Blinded by the morning light, Kai squinted and made out three figures against the thinning streets. One sat on the curb, while the other two ripped out their Beyblades. When he stood before them, three smiles greeted him warmly.  
  
"Glad to see you're up, Kai. I was sure we'd have to get some royalty to come in and wake you from your slumber, Sleeping Beauty." Tyson jeered, launching Dragoon, and watching it spin.  
  
"Ignore him. Tyson's just a little cranky because he stayed up late with the rest of us and had to get up early this morning. We knew you weren't feeling too well, so we let you sleep. Now that's it is late afternoon, I believe you have slept long enough." Kenny stated, adjusting his thick glasses.  
  
"Watch this, Kai!" Max let his Draciel blade rip, and it spun in a tight spiral, slamming Tyson's blade and knocking Dragoon out.  
  
"Hey! Watch what you're doing, Max. You little show off."  
  
As Kai perceived the scene around him, with all the Blade Breakers, he felt a smile rise upon his lips. All traces of anger vanished and he felt...happy. He was glad he was back with his team and that that strange world had been all a dream. It had been all a dream, hadn't it?  
  
Worried, Kai asked, "How long was I out? I didn't go anywhere, did I?"  
  
"Not unless you slept-walked right under our noses, which is highly unlikely since you've never had a record or any problems that might cause you the anxiety or distraction to sleepwalk."  
  
"That's a relief." Kai sighed. With joy, he watched his teammates blades, correcting them where they erred, making his team stronger and more united than before. As night drifted down upon the city, the Blade Breakers were having so much fun; they did not wish to stop practicing. So on they went deep into the night.  
  
Kai was proud at how good they were getting in such short time. So distracted he was by their excellent performances, he never even noticed the dark shadows gathering around them. He was coaching Rei on how to make his blade zigzag to confuse his opponent right after the launch when a thick fog surrounded them, leaving them in total darkness. Kai felt around, trying to locate the Blade Breakers though unable to see. He called their names, but no reply was given him. After what seemed like hours, the fog lifted slightly, allowing Kai to see, though it still loomed overhead. He gasped in horror as he viewed his team members lying face down on the asphalt. Not one of them had a pulse.  
  
He could not believe what had happened. His friends had been killed. By whom? And why? Why did they spare him? Why? Pain like he had never felt before shot through him, he felt as if his heart had been sliced in half. His legs buckled out from beneath him and he fell. The rain slowly began to fall, and hidden within their cleansing drops mixed his salty tears. For the first time in his life, he allowed himself to cry.  
  
Leisurely and seemingly with pleasure, the dark fog engulfed him, sending him back down the well into the strange world he had come so to loathe. As he sat amongst the darkness, shrill cries rang out and immediately by the tone he knew to whom they belonged. In a room filled with all sorts of injurious contraptions – guillotines, pits of spouting fire, and swinging maces, he stumbled over to Zeo who was literally being torn in two by a medieval torture device called The Rack. Invisible hands cranked the wheel, making the straps attached to Zeo pull harder on each end of his small body with each passing second. Kai tried to stop it, but it would not deviate from its present turning course. Zeo gasped in pain, his eyes bugging out of his head. With a final blood-curdling scream, Zeo froze and all his joyous life departed from him, as his bones were detached from his body.  
  
The wheel stopped turning.  
  
Kai would not allow himself to believe what happened. "No." His hands tightened into fists. "No!" No matter how hard he tried, the scent of death still lingered in the air.  
  
Suddenly, a whispered voice carried into his ears. "What's the matter? You should be rejoicing over his demise. Was it not you who thought on more than one occasion how you'd be better off without him?"  
  
Kai whirled around, trying to locate the origin of the voice. "Did you do this to him? Did you also kill my friends as well?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So they would no longer interfere. Your little 'friends' were making you wish you were anywhere but here. In addition, that bad little boy had tainted your heart. I couldn't just let them live for erring such." The voice stated as if it were common practice. "Besides, you will be a lot happier without them. You can live freely with me without them pricking your conscience. I can make you forget all about them. They'd be nothing more than a dream."  
  
"You're nothing more than a dream!"  
  
"I'm hurt that you'd say that, my dear. I can be as real as you want me to be." Something caressed his cheek and he snapped at it. It relinquished. "Just you wait. Soon you shall see and once you do, you'll never want to leave me. I'll wait patiently for you, my dear. Don't take too long though. I've been wanting you for a long time, so it'd be very rude to make me wait much longer." The room then disappeared around him and he found himself back in Zeo's room, as if nothing had happened, as if it had all been just a dream. Thankfully that was all that it was. 


	10. Crystalline Ball

CRYSTALLINE BALL  
  
Lifting Zeo's stained, red shirt from off him, Kai viewed numerous injuries speckling the boy's skin: slashes of fresh whips marks, bruises of every color and depth, swollen limbs, scars of every shape and size. It seemed the boy had been undergoing forms of punishment long before Kai had ever arrived.  
  
Why? Kai wondered. Why would anyone want to do something as severe as this to Zeo? Whoever did must not be human. He looked down at the boy's still face, clenching his fist. "Whoever they are, they'll pay." With those words spoken, Kai shocked himself at the anger welling up within him. He had never felt anything in his life. If he did, it was smothered into nothing. He was cold and heartless, but this strange boy was beginning to make him feel. The voice in his dream was right. Zeo had tainted his heart. He hated that fact.  
  
Zeo stirred and Kai went over to him. The boy's light eyes fluttered open and focused. "Good morning." The boy yawned and stretched slightly before recoiling in pain. A draft blew through the room making Zeo shiver. He realized then that his shirt was gone and tried desperately and futilely to hide himself from Kai's view. He hugged his body, trying his hardest not to cry. "You weren't supposed to interfere."  
  
"How could I not when you're screaming your head off? Besides, no one is supposed to be treated like that. It's inhumane."  
  
Zeo sniffed. "It's nothing compared to what you do to me."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Being abused physically is a lot less painful than verbal abuse. Your harsh words strike me harder than a whiplash and slap me with more force than a paddle. Your cold shoulder to me gives me frostbite more than sitting on an ice cube." The boy tried hard to remain serious, but his last comment was too silly for him to keep a straight face. After a while, he continued, "Seriously. Do you know what it's like to be here for eight years without anyone, not even a flea for company? Spending night after night in a strange place, being hurt by something you can't even see?" He quickly covered his mouth to keep himself from saying anything further.  
  
Kai moved closer to him. "'Something you can't even see'? You mean you have no idea what it looks like?"  
  
"I've said too much already. You'll find out soon enough."  
  
Kai remembered hearing whatever was hurting Zeo say the exact same thing the first night he spent in this bizarre world. "Do you know when I'll find this all out?"  
  
Zeo looked up as if asking if he could say. He seemed to get a positive reply for he said, "Yes, as soon as you find that crystal ball in those pictures. I'm sure you saw it."  
  
"Do you know where it is?"  
  
The boy nodded. "I can't tell you, though. You have to find it on your own. I can't help you, only be there when you do uncover it. Now...where's my shirt?"  
  
"You'll get it back after you rest a little longer and after I find that ball."  
  
Zeo kicked the covers off him. "But I don't want to rest!"  
  
"Too bad. You made me. Now it's payback." Kai was halfway out the door before he turned around and asked, "Do you think it'll come for you in here?"  
  
"I'm not sure. I don't think so. Besides, when have you ever worried about me? Are you getting soft?"  
  
Kai scolded him, though a small smile crept on his lips. He then left the room, closing the door firmly behind him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
High and low he searched, into every room, practically pulling the place apart. He looked in every drawer and behind every book, but could not find the ball. He collapsed in Zeo's chair, feeling more tired than he ever had in years. There was that word again. Feel. He sighed angrily. It was entirely the boy's fault. His oddness and childlike, innocent ways made Kai's humanity come out of hiding. He hoped that once he found that ball, he'd be able to get out of here and away from the boy, before his cold heart was melted completely.  
  
Zeo's fingers outlined Kai's tattoos. "Why'd you paint your face?"  
  
Kai brushed his hands away. "No reason."  
  
"Hmm." A minute of silence past, before Zeo asked, "Did you find it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Of course you didn't. You can't find it without me."  
  
"You can't help me, remember?"  
  
"I know, but I forgot to tell you that I'm the bearer of it. It only works for me, but you have to find the room in which it's located first."  
  
"I've looked everywhere. I don't even know what I'm looking for! Hold on, did you say you were the 'bearer' of it?"  
  
"Uh-huh."  
  
"In the pictures, though, a woman is holding it. Are you related to her somehow?"  
  
"Maybe. All I know is that when I came here, the ball was put in my hands and I was held accountable for its safety. I don't remember what my real mother looked like or even if I had one. It's possible. I could be her son or something. Tell me though, where did you look? Did you search everywhere?"  
  
"The library, the parlor, the dining room, the staircase, the attic, all the rooms – downstairs and up -, the closets, the drawers, even the bathroom!"  
  
"You didn't look everywhere."  
  
"Where haven't I looked then?"  
  
"I'll give you a hint. Like this house, a rainforest has a canopy, an understory, and a ground layer. Yet everyone seems to forget that there's another layer lying underneath the ground - a subterranean one."  
  
Kai thought quickly. The house is like a rainforest. The attic is the canopy, the understory is the second floor, and the ground layer is the first floor. Kai glared at him. "Are you saying this place has a basement?"  
  
Zeo leapt from the bed and wrapped his arms around Kai. "You figured it out! Hurray!"  
  
He pried the boy off. "It wasn't that difficult." Kai handed Zeo his shirt and said, "Are you going come then since I know where it is?"  
  
"You only know where it is now because I told you. Give credit where credit is due."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After Kai had helped Zeo down the stairs, he asked the boy where the door to the basement was. "I searched every inch of this house. There's no door leading down to a basement."  
  
"Well, the door really isn't a door." He led Kai into the library and pulled up some of the carpeting. The floor underneath was smooth wood and in the middle was a loose board with a latch on it. Kai pulled the door up while Zeo fetched a candle.  
  
The small orange light barely illuminated the darkness looming beneath them.  
  
"Are you ready to face the darkness?" Zeo asked. He sounded different.  
  
Kai whipped around to see the boy had changed again, back to the serious side that had appeared after he had fallen off the ladder. His eyes had narrowed considerably and before Kai could do anything, the boy shoved him, with a great force that the real Zeo did not posses, down the open doorway, where he plunged into the gloom.  
  
Thankfully the drop wasn't too far and Kai sustained little injury to himself. A glowing light hovered behind him, giving no warmth to the chill that hung in the air. As the candle past him, it allowed him only a glimpse of one of the boy's eyes, which had now darkened to a deep forest shade of green.  
  
"This way," the boy commanded, and Kai had no choice but to follow.  
  
Entering a room, the boy lifted the candle above his head, igniting a trial of oil that lined the wall and soon the entire room was bathed in a warm glow. The boy set the candle down and said, "The ball of crystal lies within this room. Find it."  
  
"You know where it is," retorted Kai.  
  
"Find it!"  
  
Kai felt along the walls and floor for a loose stone, until he noticed that in the far corner of the room, there was insignia engraved in one of the stones. He pulled it out and found the sphere of crystalline. He brought it out and stood in front of the boy, who smiled.  
  
"Acceptable job." The boy cleared the space between them and knocked Kai to the floor. Placing a foot on his chest, the boy took the ball from him and chanted, "Come away, come away, come away, to the valley beyond. Come away, come away, come away, you cannot e'er go wrong."  
  
The ball glowed brilliant white and Kai felt himself falling into the color, just as he had when he had fallen into the well. The white soon faded into black and Kai found himself in a world without light, not even a single candle flame flickered. Nothing but darkness could be seen, covering over the eyes like a veil, surrounding densely like a thick fog.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"In the Realm of the Forgotten," the boy answered. "The resting place of my Lord."  
  
"The 'he' you talked about, I bet."  
  
"You are correct. Come. He summons us." The boy held Kai's arm and led him deeper into the murk. Abruptly, he stopped, and spoke out loudly, "He has arrived, my Lord."  
  
Blazing red eyes pierced through the gloom, staring straight at Kai, bathing him in a crimson light. In barely a whisper, it bid, "Welcome...my dear."  
  
Cold breath caressed him and Kai knew that this time, it wasn't a dream.  
  
The boy, stone faced, said, "I introduce you to my liege, Keeper of all that is evil, the Darkness." 


	11. The Darkness

A/N: Here's what you've all been waiting for. The climax! A long one too. Just think, now there are only two more chapters to go. ^^ Enjoy. Warning: Torture, subtle shounen ai, and a very roused figment. ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________  
  
THE DARKNESS  
  
The red eyes smiled at the firebird. "You cannot comprehend how long I have waited for this moment, my dear. I have waited eons for someone like you, and now finally you have come. Please, do come closer. Let me have a good look at you." An unseen force drove him forward towards the darkness. "Ah, you look just as you did when I first laid eyes on you. Do you remember that? I'm quite sure you do. You must. It was only little more than a week ago. You were peaceful slumbering and I infested your dreams." Kai grew angry, wrath welled up within him and the darkness laughed. "I knew you'd remembered. Dreams of you becoming mine are no longer fading, distant fantasies. They shall soon become reality."  
  
"I doubt that. I will never be yours."  
  
Laughter resonated around him. "Oh, I've heard that before. On the third time I came to you. You still have that fiery, unconquerable spirit. I am glad my little minion did not spoil it with his antics." The voice suddenly became cold and the eyes' red light illuminated the boy, who bowed deeply.  
  
"My apologies, my Lord. As you are well aware, rarely have I had control over my counterpart. At the times of which you speak, it was most difficult to restrain him. I solemnly vow never to let it happen again."  
  
"Good." The eyes hovered over Kai, curved in an obvious smile. A dark hand extended forward and he dodged its touch. The darkness asked, "Why do you fight me, Kai? I can be anything - give you everything – you have ever dreamed of and some things you haven't." The hand stroked his face, and though Kai tried to stop it, he found himself unable to move. The hand slowly went down his neck, to the bandages tied about him, and as if cut by scissors, they fell to the floor around his feet. A burning cold embraced him, zeroing in on his healing injuries. After a few moments, it subsided and he could move freely. He felt his back and not a scratch remained.  
  
"See, and that is only a part of what I can do for you." The red eyes dissipated and suddenly softly lit torches illuminated the room. Kai found himself standing at the bottom step of a set of stairs leading up to a satin divan draped with silk and furs, rich beyond the wildest imagination. Upon the divan lay a dark figure, which slowly revealed a young man, older than Kai by a few years, strikingly handsome with a dark beauty, and irresistible. Kai couldn't help but stare in awe at the person before him.  
  
The young man asked, "Do you find me appealing or would you rather..." The darkness resumed and in the man's place was a woman with long hair, dark as midnight, lips blood red, and a shapely body any man would die for, yet despite her lustrous beauty, her eyes shone deep crimson. Slowly she approached Kai, taking her care on each of the stone steps, keeping her eyes on him. He was trapped within her gaze. She clicked her long, black fingernails together then ran her index finger down Kai's cheek. Even the lightest tough of that nail sliced his skin, sending a bolt of pain through Kai, just to be quickly eradicated by the darkness' strange healing.  
  
Twirling her dark hair around a pinky finger, she casually brushed invisible dust off her revealing, skin-tight outfit made of black leather with hints of dark red and rusting armor stained with blood. Though the armor was not appealing, the rest of her was, and she very well knew it. She was aware that Kai was figuring it out as well.  
  
Kai forced himself to look away, suddenly feeling emotions he never felt before. He cursed himself. Years I've spent to push aside petty emotions, and now all that training is nothing against...  
  
The woman of darkness strode over to him and said, "There's no way you can fight me. I have the invincible weapon of choice: using your human nature against you. Ingenious, isn't it? Not even the strongest man in the world can resist me. I can become every desire, and more than anything anyone could ask for."  
  
Kai would not allow himself even a glance of her; nevertheless, even when not looking, her face lingered in his mind and sent flashes of white, hot pain through him. He held his sides and staggered around the room, trying to get as far away from her as possible. Jamming himself in a corner, he breathed heavy, wincing at the delicious pain flowing through him every second.  
  
"It is pointless to refuse my Lord." A voice from his left spoke.  
  
Kai turned to see Zeo's alter ego standing a few feet away from him.  
  
"Why's that?" Kai inquired, struggling to talk, to even breathe.  
  
Zeo's alter ego's dark eyes enlarged and glimmered briefly sea green. A small smile came to his lips and he replied, "Because the longer you resist, the more tempting she becomes. See for yourself."  
  
He glanced quickly over at the woman of darkness heading his way and saw that indeed she had become more beautiful than the last time he had laid eyes on her. Although everything he had taught himself begged him not to ask for help, he did so. "What should I do?"  
  
The boy's eyes returned to being narrow and dark, yet the smile still lingered on his lips. "Succumb to my Lord's wishes, of course."  
  
Kai gritted his teeth, unappreciative of the answer given. He curled his lip and hissed, "Never." He straightened slowly and stared directly at the darkness approaching. "I would rather die than succumb to anyone, especially you."  
  
She ran a hand down to her hip and let it rest on her voluptuous curves. "You talk tough, yet your words are filled with nothing but air." She let out an amused laugh. "You're all bark and no bite, my little pet."  
  
As she continued to advance, Kai, despite his efforts to remain resilient, found himself weakening with every step she took. Clutching his waist, he fell to his knees before her, gasping for breath and grasping for strength. He hardly found either.  
  
Nudging his chin with the tip of one of her pointed-toed boots, she forced him to look up at her. Entwining her fingers in his hair, she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. As soon as her lips touched his skin, without thought and without his consent, he wrapped his well-built arms around her neck. The woman of darkness began to outline his distressed facial features with her fingertips, delicately so that her nails did not slice his skin. The softness of her hands made Kai squirm with hatred and desire at the same time. Never before in his life had he ever felt so many emotions running through his body simultaneously.  
  
Her fingers slid down to his bare-chest, upon which she lazily drew invisible circles. Then, pushing him flat on his back, she straddled him with a smile playing on her lips. "You're definitely going to enjoy this." With channeled force, she pressed herself upon him.  
  
He cried out in internal agony, and then chided himself for allowing her the ability to control his emotions. He could not – would not – allow her to attain what she desired of him. Never. He would rather die, and he would prove those words true if necessary. With all the strength he could muster, he released himself and kicked her from off him. She hurtled backwards towards the granite walls of the rooms. However, she never was thrown against it for she had extended her right leg to break the impact.  
  
Her eyes burned fiercely red in the surrounding gloom, reminding Kai of what the woman truly was beneath her fair visage. Breathing heavily, she glared at him in full contempt. "If rough is how you want to play, rough it shall be." She turned to her attendant and snapped her fingers.  
  
The boy's eyes glowed eerily, and suddenly, he held the fidgeting form of Zeo. Kai gawped at what he had just witnessed. It was impossible for two halves of the same person to be standing apart from each other, and yet there they were.  
  
Fearfully, Zeo glanced about. His bright eyes caught sight of Kai and he shook within the handcuffs he wore. "Kai! You have to get out of here or he'll..." He gasped, finally noticing the woman of darkness looming nearby.  
  
She nodded once at Zeo's twin, who in turn lifted the boy up by the chain connecting the shackles he was wearing and threw him against the wall. Regrettably, he was not as fortunate as the darkness had been and crashed into the stone with considerable force. Whimpering in pain, Zeo curled in on himself as his twin approached.  
  
Kai tensed up and shouted, "Leave him alone! You've already done enough damage. Don't hurt him!"  
  
The lady glanced over her shoulder at him, chuckling at his sudden outburst. "Has this child really changed you, my darling? Has he melted your frozen heart? Hear what I propose. In exchange for this little brat's life, you'll willingly become mine."  
  
"Don't listen to her Kai. I'm not worth it. Save yourself!" Zeo's pleads were silenced by his twin's deadly grip on his throat.  
  
Kai took a glimpse of Zeo, then confidently faced the darkness. With his mind focused on saving poor Zeo, Kai no longer was held captive by the darkness' irresistible beauty. By means of Zeo's innocence, Kai was able to see right through the darkness' fair visage and at the cruel, malicious creature it really was. "So, now you're trying to bribe me. Well, it's never going to work."  
  
"We'll see about that. After this little cretin gets injured a bit more seriously, we shall see if you still think you will not be affected. Raku," the name reverberated around the room with dark echoes, "you know what I expect."  
  
Raku smiled, holding Zeo up higher. "Yes, my Lord, nothing but the worst. I shall gladly inflict any amount of pain on this child who would not obey me, who defied your evilness." The handcuffs brushed against the wall and held fast, making Zeo hang from his wrists like he had when Kai had burst into his room.  
  
From the side, Raku removed a long, braided whip, which he stroked reverently, and grinned with a spiteful joy. Zeo's eyes widened with horror at the sight of it and screamed in utmost terror.  
  
Seeing how deathly afraid he was, Kai felt a strong sense of camaraderie. Shooting daggers the evil twin's way, he threatened to break every bone in Raku's body if he dared to lay that whip upon Zeo.  
  
The darkness grumbled in its womanly form, "I knew that little horror would get in the way of my plans. He has chipped at that stone heart of yours I found so endearing." To Raku, she declared, "Finish him off. Better that he be dead than interfere with the union of my dear and I."  
  
"No!" Kai protested.  
  
Raku held back his whip to strike and released his deadly weapon, but it never made contact with Zeo's petite frame. Instead, the whip painfully struck Kai, who had stepped in between Raku and Zeo, blocking the attack. He stood tall and strong before Raku, wincing not in pain as the blood dripped down his right arm.  
  
"Stupid fool," muttered Raku, as he slashed his whip seemingly at Zeo again, missing once, then finding Kai's flesh on the second lash. It sliced across his cheek. Kai ignored the stinging pain and continued to guard Zeo's trembling body. The next slash caught Kai on the wrist. From the smile on the evil boy's face, it was apparent that Raku no longer had any interest in destroying Zeo, but instead, focused all of his torture on Kai. The darkness did not seem to notice.  
  
"You evil child," Raku began, coiling up his whip for another assault, "you stole the affections of my Lord. Those affections rightly belong to me, the loyal servant, not to you, a meaningless insect. I will squash you like the pest you are!" He lashed out yet again with more force than before, but this time, Kai was prepared. Holding out his right arm, unafraid, he allowed the whip coiled around it like a snake. Raku's eyes widened as he realized that he had made a terrible mistake. Using all of his might, Kai yanked the whip up and over his head, sending Raku flying whip-less across the room.  
  
Kai turned, never letting his back face his adversary. Looking down at Raku, he wondered if the boy had had enough. His question was answered when Raku launched himself forward on the floor and spun, sticking his foot out and causing the unexpected Kai to trip.  
  
Falling hard, he hit his head on the solid flooring. Raku was upon him before he could even lift his head, and slammed fist after fist violently onto Kai's face. He continued punching repeatedly, all the while saying: "My Lord is mine, and mine alone. He belongs with me. He is my Lord!"  
  
Kai, at this point, was fighting unconsciousness. However, he mustered up his strength and blocked Raku's next punch. Just as he had with the lady of darkness, he kicked the boy off, throwing him quite a ways. Slowly, he rose and wiped the blood from off his face. He glared at Raku, who was rising from the floor, but who could not get up all the way. He rose only on his hands and knees, holding his gut with one of his hands. The boy weakly met Kai's gaze, who said, "Your Lord means nothing to me. Hold no grudge against me. I did not do anything to receive your Lord's affections. Therefore, hate him instead of me, the way I loathe him to my very core."  
  
As he was about to turn away, Kai noticed the boy was not holding his stomach, but grasping tightly onto an object. Upon a closer inspection, Kai discovered it was the crystalline ball! With lightning fast thoughts, Kai, almost as quickly, snatched the ball from the boy's bleeding, unsuspecting hands. For a moment, Kai made eye contact with Raku. The boy's dark eyes were filled with shock and dread. The boy knew what Kai planned to do, but had no power remaining to stop him. Faintly, he called to his Lord, "My Lord, stop him. He holds the ball of crystalline."  
  
Finally, the darkness seemed aware of its surroundings and with what appeared to be fear in its crimson eyes, tried to dissuade Kai from any unreasonable actions he might take. "Now, my dearest one, please, don't do anything irrational that you might regret. Return the crystalline ball to Raku. That would be a good darling. Afterwards, I can heal you so you will feel no more pain. Would you not like that?"  
  
Evidently, the darkness knew as well. Don't want to disappoint them, thought Kai. Therefore, with a great might, he hurled the ball to the ground, where it exploded, shattering into innumerable shards of light.  
  
The darkness screeched in pain as Kai took this opportunity to slice Zeo off the wall using the whip and sheer force. As soon as the boy was free, Kai grabbed his wrist and asked, "Do you know how to get out of here?"  
  
"Well, you broke our easy way out, but I'm pretty sure that there is a secret passageway beyond these walls." Zeo replied, running a hand along the farthest wall.  
  
"How are we supposed to break through?" Kai wondered aloud.  
  
"Don't you have anything strong enough or powerful enough to do the job?"  
  
Kai thought for a moment, then noticed a bulge in his left pant pocket. Reaching in, he felt his Dranzer blade! He was not even aware that he had it with him! During all of the chaotic events of the past week, he had been too preoccupied to remember his loyal Dranzer that he kept with him through the good times and the bad. He kissed the blade and immediately, sent it soaring into the wall.  
  
Ecstatic to be released, Dranzer emerged in a ball of red light, causing the darkness further undeniable misery, and cut through the granite wall as if it were paper. When the dust cleared, a hollowed tunnel was expose, through which Kai and Zeo hurriedly ran, knowing that the darkness would soon be after them. They scurried through the blackness; the dim glimmer of Kai's Dranzer and of Zeo's eyes faintly illuminated the way.  
  
The tunnel seemed to continue forever and the ominous presence of the darkness grew to a point that it inevitably permeated the air. In time, the dim lights that had faintly guided their path became obscured. Even their vision was impaired to an extent that neither adolescent could view their hands in front of their faces.  
  
Fearing separation, they groped for each other's hand and held fast to them in the dark. Kai did not intend to scold the boy now; he was too intent on finding their way out before the darkness found them first.  
  
"Do you even know where you're going?" Kai inquired, as Zeo lead him to the left and down a winding pathway.  
  
"I'm pretty sure," Zeo hesitantly replied.  
  
Kai, ready to now to admonish him, stopped himself when the ground beneath him rose n an incline. They ran faster up the slope until Zeo cried out, "We're almost there! I can see the moon in the sky!"  
  
As soon as Zeo spoke those words, the opening of which the blue light shone through was concealed and both boys were left in total darkness. Before them, crimson eyes emerged and shone fierce. Kai gritted his teeth and holding tightly onto Zeo's hand, pulled the boy up and through the darkness' blockade. Hands reached out from within to grab him as he past, but he kicked them aside. Nothing was going to stop him from leaving that underworld. Nothing.  
  
Within a few seconds, an angel and a firebird emerged onto the cool desert sands of an unknown world. Zeo sat upright and fearfully gazed about him. His quivering eyes met Kai and he said, "We must keep moving. I feel the anger of the darkness rising, as well as the journey of the creeping evil to meet us. We must keep moving."  
  
Kai agreed fully. Brushing the sand from off him, he rose and held his hand out to Zeo. "You ready?"  
  
The boy smiled and gratefully took it, and the two lads soared across the desert as if there were wings attached to their feet. They met no perils for quite some time, and soon Zeo began to believe that what he felt was nothing but an illusion, when suddenly, the writing arms of the creeping evil rose from the ground and tightly wrapped around his torso. Swiftly, he was yanked away from Kai.  
  
"Help!" He screamed. "Help me! Please, Kai! Save me!"  
  
"Zeo!" The wind whispered dark forebodings into his ears as well as the chilling laughter of the darkness. Kai growled. "Do you have control over this monstrosity as well? If so, release him at once or I'll..."  
  
"You will do what? What power do you have over me? Despite the fact that your cold, reclusive, and domineering energies have caused me to be attractive to you, that still does not mean you have the kind of power that I have over you. I can make you do anything I desire you to. Back in the realm, I wished you to give me your affections willingly, but now it appears that I must resort to force." The darkness, suspended in the sky above like a black, thundercloud, slowly floated down and rested itself next to Kai. "If you do not comply, the brat will be consumed in a most unpleasant fashion."  
  
Kai glanced over at Zeo, who, hanging by a leg in the air, was dangling over the thrashing beak of the creeping evil. It appeared as though the darkness did have control over the monstrous beast, as Zeo was, centimeter by centimeter, lowered towards the plant's gaping mouth  
  
Heart-wrenching cries of utmost dread emitting from Zeo's aching throat devitalized Kai's resilience. As the boy's small body came nearer and nearer towards the snapping jaws of the otherworldly beast, another conflict ensued within Kai - this time, it pertained to matters of life and death. He had to consider what was more important: his life or Zeo's. Even if he did comply with the darkness' demands, he had no guarantee that Zeo would be spared. The boy might still become a midnight snack for the creeping evil. Kai could not allow that tragedy to befall the kind, yet somewhat weird, Zeo, he had grown to love like a friend. Besides, the boy had saved him on more than one occasion; Kai owed the boy his life.  
  
Abruptly, Kai, struck by a thought, called out, "Zeo, why aren't you able to paralyze it like you had when we first met?"  
  
Zeo's eyes began to glow, yet it had no effect. "I don't know. I guess because I don't have Raku's level-headedness anymore I'm too afraid to concentrate my powers to hurt it or..." Zeo gasped, "Maybe I never had those powers to begin with."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kai asked, starting to feel anxiousness.  
  
"Did you actually believe that little brat contained that power himself?" The darkness scoffed. "He is nothing but a mere mortal, just as you are. My servant, Raku, infested his body when he arrived here after being summoned, as you were, to this world. Raku is the flitting shadows of the night as I am the consuming darkness. Weaker than me he was, but a faithful servant nonetheless. The powers he had were portrayed through that child but nothing more than that. Zeo was merely a puppet in the scheme of things, a tool used to get you to reside here long enough for me to plan a way to tempt you into becoming my own."  
  
Now feeling miserably helpless, Kai slumped and bowed his head, "Then, I guess..." Just as he was about to say the words of submission, he noticed out of the corner of his eye the moon heading towards the horizon. Dawn was fast approaching. When the morning came, the sun would rise, proclaiming the start of a new day. Kai anxiously calculated how close Zeo was to being consumed over how long it would take the sun to come up. Not a lot of time. Only a few seconds, but he had to make those seconds count.  
  
Cursing himself for what he was about to do, he strolled slowly towards the darkness, keeping an intense gaze upon it. He stood before the darkness and said, "Change into your womanly form. There is something I wish to tell her."  
  
The darkness smiled and whispered, "If it is easier for you to speak with that form than with my present one, by all means, I will transform, my beloved." The darkness swirled briefly like a tornado, before quieting down and revealing the woman of darkness, more scantily clad than before. She leaned towards him expectantly. "Yes? What is it you wished to tell me?"  
  
Kai peered over the darkness' shoulder and saw a faint, golden outline on the horizon. "I wanted to say," Kai began with a smile, "'good morning' and 'goodbye.'"  
  
The darkness blinked rapidly, confused at what she heard. "What?" Then, she turned around, eyes wide, and shielded her face as the sun peeked over the distant horizon. "No!" She screamed, her pitch perfectly matching that of the creeping evil as it dropped Zeo and began to slither under the shelter of the ground. The darkness' eyes blazed at Kai and she roared, baring dagger-like canine teeth, "This is not the end, Kai. I assure you. You will become mine. Make no mistake about that. We will meet again." With that said, the darkness descended into the depths of the sand, but its piercing red eyes remained prominent in Kai's mind.  
  
Exhausted from the events, Kai collapsed and laid breathless on the ground, glancing frequently at the boy to make sure he was all right. After some time, the sun warmed Kai's body and he crawled over to Zeo. His long green hair had come undone in the ferocity of the creeping evil's assault. Other than that, he appeared to be fine. Gently, Kai shook him awake, and Zeo groggily asked, "Did we win?"  
  
"The battle is not won yet, or so the darkness said, but," Kai sighed, after looking in the boy's worried eyes, and said, "yes, for this portion of the battle we have conquered over the darkness."  
  
The angel gave him a lopsided grin and said, "I'm glad," before rising to his feet. "Now, though, we have to find a way out of this place. Do you remember where you came into this world?"  
  
The location had been imprinted into Kai's mind the day he had set out to find it and had been attacked by the creeping evil. Without fail, he led Zeo past the lone mangled cactus to where he believed he had fallen and looking up at the cloudy sky of green, he said, "This has to be the place. Only one cactus can be as mangled as that one. Yet, I still don't see anything that could possible denote that this is a portal to our world." As Kai finished speaking, Zeo's whole entire body began to glow vibrantly white.  
  
"What's going on?" Kai asked, uncertain of what he perceived.  
  
"I don't know. Maybe some of Raku's power is still left within me. Oh, no, that's not it." Zeo laughed gaily. "I do know. Remember how I said I was the bearer of the crystalline ball."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well, I think that has a double-meaning. Only I could activate the ball, but what if the physical ball itself didn't opened the portal to the Realm of the Forgotten. Maybe I was the key! That's it!" He held out his hand to Kai. "Come on! We're going home!"  
  
"I hope you're right." Kai took his hand and watched as the boy closed his eyes and chanted, "Come away, come away, come away with me to the valley beyond. Come away, come away, come away with me you can't e'er go wrong." Suddenly, the light emitting from Zeo grew brighter and shot upwards through the clouds and high into the expanse of heaven. With the light soared Kai and Zeo, hand in hand, ever higher, rising up to greet a speck of blue light. They ascended into a world of blue and their journey finally ended, as they blue turned to black as they instantly fell unconscious.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gradually, Kai opened his eyes. A light from above blinded him and he squinted in its brightness. Soon, his eyes adjusted and he saw a sun...his sun...high in the sky above him, shining down lovingly with warm rays. The ground beneath him was cobblestone; he ran his hands over the bumps and through the grooves. Above him and to the right was a stone fountain of a maiden dumping the contents of a pail; water quietly trickled into a well basin at her feet. A smile consumed Kai's face. Overwhelmed with happiness, an emotion he now allowed himself to have until this very moment, he woke up Zeo and said, "We're home." 


	12. Bitter Sweetness of Home

Warning: Kai's slightly OOC. Personally, I don't think he is after what he's been through. ^^  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________  
  
BITTER SWEETNESS OF HOME  
  
After having quietly rapped upon the Blade Breaker's hotel room door, Kai cautiously entered with Zeo close behind. Only a cluttered empty room and a breeze sidling through the curtains on the far side greeted them. Calling loudly throughout the room, Kai summoned the Blade Breakers to gather, but his beckons fell upon deaf ears. He sat down on the couch and sighed, slumping his shoulders dejectedly.  
  
Zeo joined him and warily placed a comforting hand on Kai's shoulder. "Maybe your friends just went out for a little while. I'm sure they'll be back soon. It's past noon, isn't it? Maybe they're out having lunch or something."  
  
Kai instinctively shrugged him off. "Maybe. I doubt it, though." His blue duffel bag lay at the side of the couch by his feet. He picked it up and took out another of his traditional black shirts. The cuts he had received from Raku's whips he had already washed off while at the fountain. Therefore, with no hesitation, he slipped the shirt over his head. As the fabric fit snugly around his torso, he felt comforted, as if he had lost a piece of himself and had found it again. The other piece of his self that he had nearly lost was in Zeo's possession. The boy had used Kai's scarf as a lead rope – or a lifeline – on their way to the hotel as they walked through the bustling sidewalk traffic.  
  
As he leaned down to remove the scarf from the boy's grasp, he noticed a Beyblade stuck in the cushions. He plucked it and discovered it to be Max's Draciel blade. Holding it gently in his hands, he examined it as he made his way over to Max's side of the room. Halfway there he noticed something that caused him to halt in his tracks. The entire top of the beyblade had been cracked, sending a wickedly jagged fissure in the plastic. Thankfully, Draciel's bit was still intact. However, it made Kai wonder what had happened to make the Draciel blade, that never left Max's side, to break.  
  
Suddenly, he was hit with a dreadful thought so terrifying that he had to brace himself against the bed. As he stared at the blade, he wondered if what the darkness had done in his dream had really happened. In that dream he had reached out and touched Rei. When he did so, he had felt flesh, warmed by life-giving blood. Rei had felt real, so what reason did he have to believe that everything that had happened wasn't as well?  
  
Clutching the blade so tightly that blood dripped down his arm, he fell to his knees. Lost within a fear-inspiring haze of the death of his teammates, his eyes clouded over and he felt as close to tears as he ever thought he'd be. Zeo tried to comfort him, but he could not hear - could not feel - the boy's sympathy, as if he were immune to it.  
  
While Kai was slowly drowning within an internal sea of sadness, a constant, familiar chattering pricked his memory. Soon, the conversations grew louder and louder as the keepers of the voices drew nearer and nearer to the hotel room. He never moved a muscle until the door swung open revealing the smiling faces of his team members.  
  
"I was like, 'no way,' and he was like, 'yah huh.' After a half-hour, I still didn't believe him. Go figure, right?" Tyson's eyes fell on Kai and he smirked. "Well, this is a change. It's not every day Kai bows to me."  
  
Quickly, Kai rose, towering over Tyson, who retorted, "Man, don't get so threatening. It's never worked before, so you might as well give up on it. Admit it, you're not imposing." Passing by him, Tyson flopped down on one of the beds.  
  
Rei approached him cheerfully and said, "You missed a really great lunch, Kai. One of the best I've ever had. Mr. D sure knows how to treat us to a good meal." Rubbing his stomach, Rei grinned happily.  
  
The shock paralyzing Kai finally released him and he was filled with such tremendous joy that he ran over to the closest team member and locked him into a suffocating embrace. As Kai relished in the Chinese boy's body heat and the sound of his beating heart, he took no notice of Rei's nor the other team members' surprised expressions; he was just happy that they were alive and well, and that they were real, not just a beautiful dream.  
  
After a few minutes, Kai broke away from Rei, who, raising an eyebrow, managed only to utter a confused "huh?"  
  
Max scratched his head, perplexed. "I don't get it, Kai. What's going on? Ah!" Max inquired before being trapped as well in one of Kai's hugs.  
  
Snubbing his nose, Tyson chuckled. "I guess Kaiey-Waiey is just happy to be back safe and sound. I bet he was scared staying out on the streets all night long. Probably got mugged or something. I hope your Dranzer got stolen."  
  
Kai let go of Max and cocked his head at Tyson, unsure if he had heard the cocky boy correctly. "What did you say, Tyson?"  
  
"That I hope your blade got stolen. I was only kidding, though."  
  
Kai shook his head. "No, before that. How long was I gone?"  
  
"Only for the length of last night," Kenny replied for him. "You never came back after that fit you had. We were concerned terribly about your welfare, but decided that you needed time to calm yourself. Apparently, it seems your techniques have worked towards your benefit."  
  
"Only last night?" Kai ran his fingers down his arms and down his cheek, feeling his cleaned wounds, to see if they were real. They remained deep in his skin. "I was gone for nearly a week." He turned to glance at Zeo, who had been standing by Max's bed, muttering to himself how Kai never hugged him, but found the boy no longer to be there.  
  
"'A week'?" Tyson repeated. "Kai, you must have hit your head on something, because unless all of us were asleep the whole entire time and all of our calendars are wrong, you were not gone for a week."  
  
Warm breath embraced his skin from behind and there was Zeo, hiding behind him, shivering with fear. Kai crossed his arms, glaring at him. "What's with this? Where's that exuberance you expressed when we first met?"  
  
Zeo rubbed his shoulders, keeping his eyes downcast, never meeting Kai's gaze. "I think I lost it on the way here." Zeo mumbled. "There's just so many of them. I...I...I'm not..."  
  
"It's okay. They won't hurt you," he whispered, reassuringly. "I'll make sure they don't."  
  
"Hey, Kai!" Tyson thumbed over at the boy. "Who's the kid?"  
  
"Oh, I know, she's a local amateur beyblader. Totally awesome. My name is Max." The blonde scrambled over and extended his hand to the boy, who fearfully moved away from it.  
  
Kai stepped in between them. "No, he is not an amateur beyblader. His name is Zeo. I met him..." Kai was unsure whether he should tell his team the truth. In any case, it was very unlikely that they would believe that he had been gone for a week in a evil dimension that lied at the bottom of a well. He himself hardly believed it, if not for Zeo standing right there beside him, he would have thought it had all been a very bad dream. In the end, he decided he'd keep the truth to himself. Hopefully Zeo would do the same.  
  
"I met him last night when I went out." The explanation was close to the truth, yet extremely far from it.  
  
Max self-consciously scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, sorry about the girl thing."  
  
"It's okay."  
  
"Cool. As I said, I'm Max. This is Rei. That's Kenny a.k.a. the Chief. And over on the bed is Tyson. Together, with Kai, we're the Blade Breakers, a Championship team. We've gone all over the world winning tournaments." Max frowned at the confused look Zeo was giving him. "You do know what a beyblade is, right?"  
  
"Kind of. I've seen Kai spin a little red and blue top. Is that a bay blade?"  
  
Max laughed and nodded. "Yup. Right on the nose."  
  
"Are you guys hungry? Since you didn't come with us to have lunch with Mr. Dickenson and since there's nothing to eat here, I bet you are."  
  
"You bet right." Zeo agreed, slowly becoming his normal giddy self, thanks to Max's optimism. "I'm starving. I think I could eat a cow...no, wait...an elephant....even bigger, a whale!"  
  
Rei's gold eyes widened in amusement. "Sounds like he has an appetite that could match Tyson's."  
  
Tyson, upon hearing his name and the mention of food, came over and said, "I'll take that bet."  
  
Zeo giggled. "You're on!"  
  
Kai watched the five boys jabber on about an eating contest and smiled to himself, shaking his head. The Blade Breakers, as well as Zeo, truly thrived off social contact and conversations, with not a day going by without them saying something, usually directed towards him. However, now, after the recent events that had befallen him, though he still felt detached and stoic, a new emotion coursed slowly through his veins as if a small piece of fire in his chilled blood. That emotion was the newly realized and acknowledged one of friendship. He could feel a closely-knit bond between all of them, could see the release cords and the launchers that tied them together, but also felt something deeper than that.  
  
In this motley group of young boys, their union could not be broken by any means, not even by Kai's impassiveness or Tyson's large mouth. They were a team with a new, supportive member. They were a team. Nothing Kai said or did could change that granite fact. In truth, that fact comforted him greatly. For if the darkness ever came searching for him again, he knew where and in whom his trust relied – not only his own strength, but also in the collective power of his team members and of their unbreakable friendship.  
  
Being beckoned to join their eating contest, Kai once again put on his mask of distained distance, but that was all it truly was: a mask he would continue hiding behind until he was ready to face the new and improved Kai being created within himself. Behind that mask, he smiled and thought how good it was to be home. 


	13. Incubus

INCUBUS  
  
Sliding down comfortably in the cushioned recesses of the couch, Kai sighed contently, sure that he would receive the most peaceful sleep for quite sometime, now that the darkness had been defeated, at least for now.  
  
Along with the soft breathing resonating around the room, assuring Kai that his teammates were there for him whenever needed, happy sighs from Zeo, as he slept cozily on the floor parallel to the couch, made Kai let a small, unnoticeable quiet laugh escape his lips.  
  
Pulling the blankets over his head, he rolled onto his side and closed his eyes to receive the peaceful sleep he longed for and hoped to attain. As he slowly drifted off, an indiscernible song penetrated the silence of the room. Kai found he could not sleep for the hushed tune of the melody pricked at the back of his mind. After some time passed, the song grew louder and louder, clearer and clearer, echoing in his ears, sending beads of sweat down the roller coaster of his spine.  
  
Quickly sitting up out of bed, Kai searched the room with his eyes, trying to find out from where the song was being emitted. The voices seemed to scream from the walls, singing at the top of their lungs, as if desiring to break Kai as if he were glass. Kai prayed hard for the shadows to stop; yet the song still rang. "Come away, come away, come away with us, to the valley beyond. Come away, come away, come away with us, you cannot e'er go wrong."  
  
Covering his ears, he saw that none of the other Blade Breakers or Zeo had been roused. He had no time to wonder whether they could hear the song or not for it suddenly ceased. His heart pounding in his chest, Kai rose from his bed, careful not to step on the strange, young boy, and went over to the window.  
  
As he pulled back the curtains, Kai hoped to find some comfort in the light of the moon as it streamed through the window, as it caressed his body with its beautiful rays. However, all he faced was pitch black, as if someone had placed black curtains over the outside of the window. Kai's palms became sweaty, his heart thundered in his throat. Black curtains...black...dark... Kai gasped and exclaimed, "Oh no!"  
  
Suddenly, the windows burst open in a breeze so forceful, so powerful, it sent Kai flying across the room. Hitting the wall with a thud, the pain didn't even register in his mind as laughter, barely above a whisper, resonated throughout the room. A dark shadow Kai hadn't even noticed before rose up from the floor and hovered over him.  
  
Trembling in fear and confusion, Kai backed as far away from the shadow as possible, eventually running into the edge of Tyson's bed. He clutched the sheets as the shadow smiled evilly. The smile grew and above the opaque grin shone two blood red eyes. The darkness chuckled and whispered, "...Kai..."  
  
The sound of a bone-chilling scream faded into the night.  
  
____________________________________________________________________________ ___________  
  
A/N: That's 'The End' for now. I'm thinking about writing a sequel. Tell me what you think. I hope you enjoyed reading 'Realm of the Forgotten.' Please R&R. 


	14. Author Note

AN:  
  
For all those reading this, I am writing to inform you that I will be writing a sequel to Realm of the Forgotten. I'll begin writing it as soon as **G Revolution**, the new season of **Beyblade**, begins in the United States, so look for it later on this year. I don't know if it'll answer any of your questions or enlighten your confusion but it will prove to be entertaining nonetheless. I couldn't find any other way of informing so I hope you all receive this message, and I thank everyone who has read this story and reviewed. Your enjoyment means everything to me. Thanks again! 


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